The text A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning is a metaphysical poem written by John Donne in 1611.

     In the title "A valediction: forbidding mourning" the attention is focused on one's going away. The indeterminate article "a" generalizes the act of departure. The word chosen to refer to the leaving, "valediction", comes from the Latin vale and dicere that means "saying goodbye". So, we expect the poem to be a greeting. In addition, the use of the colon makes us reflect on the meaning of the going away. The expression "forbidding mourning" is maybe referred to second person, involved with the one who is leaving. It sounds to be a hierarchic and close relationship, since there is a prohibition (forbidding) and a strong feeling (mourning). The strength of the emotion is underlined by the use of an onomatopoeic word, reproducing the sound of a moan.
We recognize in the title the presence of the emotional side and the rational one. The poem can develop either in a dialogue or in monologue.

     The text is structured into 9 quatrains. The rhyme scheme of each quatrain is ABAB. As a result symmetry is created by the organisation of words.
     The poet addresses to his lover in the moment of leaving, explaining her the reasons why she has not to mourn. Since they live a refin'd love, a presence in the mind is assured and so no groan is let. Differently from sublunary lovers, who do not know the abstract dimension of love, lovers in the poem live an "inter-assurance of the mind". What is more the leaving sublimes their love: it is an "expansion"; in the metaphor, it allows a "circle just". Besides the end is in the beginning (it comes home; And makes me end, where I begun) so that every going away is a going back.
     The pace of the poem evokes a sinusoidal movement, which is mathematically linked to the covering of a circumference.

Alliteration is largely adopted in the text, in particular with words containing -s (pass, souls, sense, less, lips, miss, compasses, ...). The sound suggests a musical singsong, also linked to the circle. An effective example of alliteration is provided in verses 13 (Dull sublunary lovers love) and 20 (Care loss, eyes, lips, and hands to miss).
There are also some repetitions (souls, two) connected to the number two. In addition there are also two similes. The first one compares the virtuous men's behaviour to the lovers' way of leaving. The second one compares the two souls to the stiff of a compass.
The poet also adopts metaphors to convey meanings. In verse 6 crying is associated to a river (tear-floods) and sighs to an earthquake (sigh-tempest move). The most important metaphor is the compass one (vv. 21-36), by which the poet expresses the essence of the lovers' relationship. According to the image used, perfection needs a deep syntony. Since the lovers are in tune, their relationship figures completion, as different images elicit (two souls which are one, Such wilt thou be to me).
     Language used reminds to three semantic areas: natural, rational, emotional ones. Nature is suggested by referring to moving of th'earth, spheres, sublunary which is also linked to the sixteenth century cosmological vision. Rationality is suggested by referring to the essence and the meaning (line 10), the mind, the compass. Emotionality is suggested by referring to souls, love, lovers.
Emotional area and rational one are linked: poet mentally feels emotions. Mind isn't dissociated from feelings.
Various themes are tackled. The leaving, esplicited by the title, is suggested in the organisation and the content of the poem. The going away of a lover becomes a sacral rite in the poem (‘Twere profanation of our joys/To tell the laity our love).
The theme of love is conveyed with reference to "association of sensibility", as T.S. Eliot will underline about metaphysical poetry. Two ideas of love are present in the poem. There is dull sublunary lovers' love, a carnal love based on eyes, lips, hands. But true love is so refin'd that is an inter-assured of the mind. It means that real lovers are two souls able to combine in unity. Therefore love becomes an entity, a form of being, as theorized in Neo-Platonism.
As a result the essence of love comes out when the lover's presence is in the other lover's mind.
In addition number two, present in different forms, is relevant. To begin with the couple of lovers is at the centre of the poem. Secondly, it is associated to the stiff twin compasses. Besides there are two similes, rhyme scheme follows the couple pattern (ABAB) and the word "two" is repeated for four times (2x2).
     All in all we enjoyed reading the poem. It is effective thanks to the poet's simplicity used in grasping the essence of living.