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 LordOther than existence examples of some of the best literature of the seventeenth century, the three works listed in the title of this essay dont seem to fit very well together. Or do they maybe after all. Creativity consists of connecting things that dont always seem to be related. All three of these works of literature deal with the various aspects of love--both human 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 song, Canonization, John Donne seems, at first glance, to be reservation fun of himself according 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 witness business. Then in the second stanza he admits that his love cant compare with the love of a poet whose tears are sufficient to sink a ship, whose heated resentment brings a fever as fatal as the black death. So the tone appears to be wry amusement, self mockery. Thus we are surprised 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 relate 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 Call us flies if thats what you estimate we are. The fly during the Renaissance symbolized shortness of life, human mortality, or lust itself--uncontrolled sexuality. Taper is another word for candle a candle also reminds us of the briefness of life--of lust like fire that represents sexual desire and destruction. Finally, the word die had sexual overtones in the Renaissance it was used to refer to orgasm sometimes called the humble death. People thought that sexual activity drained away ones vital forces, shortened ones life. The eagle and the dove image provide a natural change to the phoenix, that mythical bird that is reborn from ashes. They also represent traditional symbols of masculine strength 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 reference to the three birds brings together opposites into a complimentary whole--we find in us devil very different kinds of birds and the Phoenix of us one by us, we two being one, are it.