Go And Catch A Falling Star By John Donne
Go And Catch A Falling Star By John Donne : Critical Analysis
Introduction
Go And Catch A Falling Star By John Donne : Introduction – John Donne’s Poem entitled “Go and Catch a falling Star“ is a song. This song is published in 1633 after two years of his death in the Volume “Song & Sonnet”.
This Song is about the inconstancy of a fair woman. He shows his distrust for woman. He believes that A Woman who is beautiful can never be faithful to her lover or husband. Poet presents his views about a false woman.
Theme
Go And Catch A Falling Star By John Donne : Theme – The theme of this poem is woman’s inconstancy. The poet mentions many impossible tasks. Poet says that just as these tasks are impossible, in the same way It is impossible to find a honest and faithful woman in this world.
If a man who has power to see strange sights and invisible objects and travels all over the world. He will not be able to find fair and faithful woman.
If any Person finds a woman who is faithful and honest in love, he would go to her but later on he gives up this foolish idea. because, The woman might have been faithful at the time when you met her but she would be false after writing two or three letters.
Thus, Poet Presents his views on inconstancy of a woman.
Subject matter :
Go And Catch A Falling Star By John Donne : Subject matter – In this poem, Poet is talking about a woman with this view that it is impossible to find a fair and honest lady in this world. He suggests that It is not impossible to find a loyal woman just like catching a falling star.
Go, and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me, where all past years are,
Or who cleft the devil’s foot,
Teach me to hear mermaids singing,
Or to keep off envy’s stinging, And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind.
He presents a list of some impossible task. Even if One could catch a falling star, beget a child on mandrake plant, Find out who cleft the foot of devil, teach the song of Mermaids and find the reason which makes a man honest. Just as all the above things are impossible. in the same way, finding a faitful and honest woman is also impossible.
Word meaning and Explanation :
- Mandrake : A Plant called atropa mandragora – विशाखमूल नामक पौधा
- Cleft : Split – चीरना
- Mermaids : Half fist half woman – जलपरी
Again poet says that a man born with the power to see strange sights and invisible things and may ride ten thousand days and nights and travel all over the world till the hair become white but he will not be able to see a faithful woman.
If thou beest born to strange sights,
Things invisible to see,
Ride ten thousand days and nights,
Till age snow white hairs on thee,
Thou, when thou return’st, wilt tell me,
All strange wonders that befell thee,
A man who has travelled all over world, will tell stories of wonderful sights but will not be able to say about a case of a loyal woman seen by him. Poet says that it is impossible to search a true woman in this world.
Word meaning and Explanation :
- Beest born : a man who has power to see strange sights – जन्मजात शक्ति
- Invisible : A person or thing which cannot be seen – अदृश्य
- That be fell thee : the wonders you will see – आश्चयर्जनक चीज़े जो देखोगे
The Poet is very interested in search of a true woman. He says that if any one tells him that there lives such a woman.
And swear,
No where
Lives a woman true, and fair.
He would do to see her even if such a journey would be as difficult as a pilgrimage. But, lator on, He gives up this idea because the woman’s faithfulness will be very short lived.
If thou find’st one, let me know,
Such a pilgrimage were sweet;
Yet do not, I would not go,
Though at next door we might meet;
Though she were true, when you met her,
And last, till you write your letter,
Yet she
Will be
False, ere I come, to two, or three.
By the time one writes a letter to her. She would have turned false. So, Poet is not hopeful to find a true and fair woman in the world.
Word meaning and Explanation :
- Pilgrimage : Journey to a religious place – तीर्थयात्रा
- True : Loyal and Honest or Faithful – वफादार
- False : unfaithful and dishonest – बेवफा
Poetic Beauty
Go And Catch A Falling Star By John Donne : Poetic Beauty – The movement of the poem is completely fused. Each line contains an active and dynamic images based on such common verbs as : Go, and catch a falling star etc.
Poet uses a series of fantastic, Far fetched images which prove that a beautiful constent woman is more impossible than known impossibilities of this world.
Style
Go And Catch A Falling Star By John Donne : Style – This poem is a song which has sweetness, smoothness and lot of arguments also. its rhythm is similar to that of a speech rhythm. The use of hyperbole is also notable — “Ten thousand days and nights till age snow white hairs on thee. “
Dramatic elements
Go And Catch A Falling Star By John Donne : Dramatic elements – Donne’s genius was dramatic. Donne uses dramatic elements like sudden beginnings, dramatic speeches, colloquial words, rhetorical devices to arouse the interest of the reader. Almost. his poems are a speech by one character to another character who is either presented or imagined.
The Poem “Go and Catch a falling star“ is addressed to the reader challenging him to find out an honest and true woman.
“Go and Catch——Honest Mind.” — These opening lines attracts the attention of the readers and keeps the situation to solve it by them.
Conclusion
Go And Catch A Falling Star By John Donne : Conclusion – Thus, The poem deals with inconstancy of a woman. The main idea of this poem lies in these lines “No Where lives a woman true and fair”. Poet shows the impossibility of discovering a true woman through a series of images.
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