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Twickenham Garden by John Donne

 

Analysis, Stanza by Stanza

Stanza One

BLASTED with sighs, and surrounded with tears,

Hither I come to seek the spring,

And at mine eyes, and at mine ears,

Receive such balms as else cure every thing.

But O ! self-traitor, I do bring

The spider Love, which transubstantiates all,

And can convert manna to gall ;

And that this place may thoroughly be thought

True paradise, I have the serpent brought.

Donne’s poem, ‘Twickenham Garden’ begins with the representation of the anguish and portrayal of the speaker’s mind. The narrator of the poem is blasted with sighs and his mind surrounded by emotional thoughts as he is rejected and betrayed by the lady he loves. For this very reason, he comes to the garden spring to pacify his burning heart and to rest his agony. Moreover, the natural setting of the garden balms his eyes, and the soothing natural sound rings softly in his ears.

Thereafter, the poet uses a conceit of the “spider love” that, according to him, “can convert manna to gall.” So, the feeling of “love” is like the spider that feeds on “manna” of insects and its body turns it into “gall”. There is a Biblical reference here as manna (in the Bible) the substance miraculously supplied as food to the Israelites in the wilderness (Exod. 16). The “gall” using which it kills its prey. The speaker considers himself a traitor as he brought along with self the emotions and feelings that defines love. Moreover, the poet uses another conceit of the “serpent” of Eden to compare it with love. Again John Donne beautifully portrays a mythical reference here as The Hebrew word נָחָשׁ (Nāḥāš) is used in the Hebrew Bible to identify the serpent that appears in Genesis 3:1, in the Garden of Eden. In the first book of the Torah, the serpent is portrayed as a deceptive creature or trickster, who promotes as good what God had forbidden and shows particular cunning in its deception. As the speaker has this emotion in his heart, his sole presence ironically makes that garden a “true paradise.”

Stanza Two

‘Twere wholesomer for me that winter did

Benight the glory of this place,

And that a grave frost did forbid

These trees to laugh and mock me to my face ;

But that I may not this disgrace

Endure, nor yet leave loving, Love, let me

Some senseless piece of this place be ;

Make me a mandrake, so I may grow here,

Or a stone fountain weeping out my year.

In the second stanza, the speaker says it was wholesome for him if winter overtakes by darkness the glory of the place and “grave frost” covered the trees of the garden. Such a severe thought crosses the mind of the speaker as the trees laugh at his condition and mocks his mistake. Also the speaker feels disgraced by the rejection. Moreover, he may not leave that place with love in his heart. Thereafter, the poet says love lets him be a “senseless piece” of that place.

In the last two lines, the speaker wants to be a “mandrake” so he may grow there or a “stone fountain” weeping out his memories of the past. It is important to mention here that the mandrake plant, also known as Mandragora, was used in folk medicines for good health. So the speaker wants to be of some help even after he is turned into a voiceless plant.

Stanza Three

 

Hither with crystal phials, lovers, come,

And take my tears, which are love’s wine,

And try your mistress’ tears at home,

For all are false, that taste not just like mine.

Alas! hearts do not in eyes shine,

Nor can you more judge women’s thoughts by tears,

Than by her shadow what she wears.

O perverse sex, where none is true but she,

Who’s therefore true, because her truth kills me.

Thereafter, the speaker refers to the lovers who come to that place with “crystal phials” (phials is a type of small glass container). Previously he has wished to be a fountain and a inevitable part of the garden . So, the water of the fountain is his tears. Whatsoever, the lovers come to collect the fountain-water (that are his tears). The poet metaphorically compares this water to “love’s wine” and asks the lover to compare it with his mistress’ tears. That person will find that the tears of his beloved are nothing in comparison to the fountain-water or the speaker’s tears.

Moreover, the poet uses an epigram in the line, “Alas! hearts do not in eyes shine.” It means one cannot read one’s true emotions from the eyes. The speaker has done so and found it to be a mistake. That’s why he is there, in his lonely walk through the Twickenham Garden. Apart from that, he says none can judge a woman’s thoughts by tears or by “her shadow what she wears.” Here, “shadow” stands for the emotions (specifically the soft ones). In this way, the speaker paints the picture of the lady whom he loved.

Lastly, the speaker ironically refers to the woman as “perverse sex.” She was not truthful to him. When he came across this fact, the reality started to torture him. Using hyperbole, he says, “Who’s therefore true, because her truth kills me.”

 


 

 

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