Love in Molières play, Tartuffe, John Donne’s Canonization, and Crashaws On the Wounds of Our Cru :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Love in Molires play, Tartuffe, John Donnes Canonization, and Crashaws On the Wounds of Our Crucified maestroOther than being examples of some of the best literature of the seventeenth century, the triplet run fors listed in the title of this essay dont seem to fit precise well together. Or do they maybe after all. Creativity consists of connecting things that dont ever so seem to be related. All three of these works of literature regard with the various aspects of love--both clement and divine.Earlier this semester I read about the Italian poet, Petrarch, whose sonnets followed certain romantic conventions as he recounted his unrequited love for Laura. In his poem, Canonization, John Donne seems, at first glance, to be making fun of himself tally to the conventions of courtly love. The poet is upset with an imaginary opponent. In the first stanza he tells him, For Gods sake, let me love in peace Go about your own argumentation. consequently in the second stanza he admits t hat his love cant compare with the love of a poet whose tears are sufficient to sink a ship, whose heated fondness brings a fever as fatal as the black death. So the tone appears to be wry amusement, self mockery. Thus we are impress when the poem takes a more serious turn. This light-hearted tone tricks us as readers we seem to be identified with Donnes imaginary foe--we who go about the business of life concerned with such mundane matters as crop failures, plagues, wars and lawsuits, work study, pizza parties, Reason and Romanticism tests. The poet challenges us Go ahead grouse us flies if thats what you think we are. The fly during the conversion symbolized shortness of life, human mortality, or lust itself--uncontrolled sexuality. Taper is another word for candle a candle also reminds us of the brevity of life--of lust like leaven that represents sexual desire and destruction. Finally, the word die had sexual overtones in the Renaissance it was used to refer to orgasm somet imes called the little death. People idea that sexual activity drained away ones vital forces, shortened ones life. The bird of Jove and the dove image provide a natural transition to the phoenix, that mythic bird that is reborn from ashes. They also represent traditional symbols of masculine intensity and activity and of feminine sweetness and passivity. We see how opposites are brought together in love. While the fly and the candle suggest physical love the name and address to the three birds brings together opposites into a complimentary whole--we find in us two very different kinds of birds and the Phoenix of us one by us, we two being one, are it.