The Good Morrow: Poet & Context

Poet & Context

John Donne was a leading figure of the metaphysical poets in the 17th-century.
He initially led a relatively reckless lifestyle, including spending lavishly, undertaking military expeditions, and secretly marrying which resulted in his dismissal from his job.
Later in his life, Donne experienced a religious transformation and became an Anglican preacher.
This combination of experiences informs the dual nature of his poetry – filled with eroticism and passion, yet also deep spiritual and existential inquiries.

“The Good Morrow”

“The Good Morrow” is one of Donne’s earliest works and is typically associated with his ‘love’ poetry rather than his ‘divine’ or ‘holy sonnets’.
The poem was most likely written during the early phase of his marriage to Anne More.
This was a period of great personal happiness for Donne and this love, contentment and joy is clearly reflected in much of his work from this period, including “The Good Morrow”.
The poem is an exploration of pure, spiritual love - a theme common in Donne’s early love poetry.
It showcases Donne’s passion for paradox, intellectual playfulness, and fondness for conceits, making it an exemplar of metaphysical poetry.
The speaker in the poem discusses a love so complete that it makes all previous experiences and all other people irrelevant, expressing a narrative of personal growth and awakening.
Donne’s exploration of love in this poem counters the common Renaissance comparison of love to a disease, offering instead a healthier, mutually satisfying vision of love.

Religious Context

Despite its categorisation as a love poem, there are subtle elements of Donne’s religious thoughts creeping into “The Good Morrow”.
Phrases such as ‘whatever dies, was not mixed equally’ resemble the Platonic theory of the soul and tie into Donne’s later religious musings.
Donne’s range of religious feelings, including fear of judgement, longing for closeness with God, and the struggle with doubt, would become more prominent in his later works.

Social and Historical Context

During the time Donne was writing, there were strict social conventions including the objectification of women. Donne often countered these conventions by glorifying women and portraying reciprocal love relationships.
Donne’s bold exploration of sexual and romantic love was unusual for his time, and may be a reflection of his personal beliefs and experiences.
The Renaissance era was a time of great exploration and discovery. This real-world exploration is mirrored in “The Good Morrow” through intellectual exploration of the self and one’s place in the world.