Is Sustainability Only Physical

Donne's love poetry and modern reader
        Donne is definitely egotistical, introspective and analytical in his love-poetry. He never dwells upon the physical beauty and features of his beloved. He never compares his beloved to an angel or a red rose that newly springs in June. Donne's concept of love is entirely different from that of Dryden. According to Dryden, love is a diversion, a kind of sport, an entertainment. Donne in his songs and sonnets never dwells upon abstract or spritual love. His serious love poems are neither ideal like those of Dante nor unideal like those of Roman lyricists. Donne writes of mutual love between men and women not as one pleasure among other pieasures, or an experience among other experiences or as an experience that intensifies other experiences or as a starting point for voyages into unknown modes of being rather as something complete and sufficient in and for itself. He does not use this experience as a mere starting point or as means for investigating and interpreting other experience. All his universe of discourse, all his ingenious and all his so-called metaphysics are valuable to him only in so far as they help him to feel and comprehend more clearly and intensely the essential thinness of this experience.

        Donne's self-enclosedness distinguishes his love from others. He, after his marriage, was left with nothing except his relationship with his wife. The qualities of shadowiness, introspection, egotism and analysis are strictly in keeping with Donne's age. It was an age of multiplicity, agitation and confusion. People were fumbling their way in this world of doubts and suspicion. They were desperateiy struggling for oneness and the ultimate truth.

        Donne takes various perspectives that used to sustain man in past and tries to feel and experience them. Unfortunately, he comes out with only a half truth each time. Donne was a seeker like Adam and Prometheus. He was frustrated, afflicted and...