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 a leaving experience. The article "a" generalizes the act of departure. The word chosen to refer to it, "valediction" comes from the Latin vale and dicere that means "saying goodbye". So, the reader expects the poem to be a form of greeting. In addition, the use of the colon makes the reader  reflect on the meaning of the going away.

         The expression "forbidding mourning" maybe referred to the second person, involved with he who is leaving. It sounds to be a close relationship. Indeed, the world forbidding suggests a prohibition and mourning a strong sad feeling. The strength of the emotion is also underlined by the use of an come together in the title. The poem can develop either in the form of a dialogue or in monologue.

         The text is organized 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  his lover on the moment of leaving, explaining the reasons why she should  not to mourn. Since they live a refin'd love, which exists as a presence in the mind is assured and so no groan is left. Differently from sublunary lovers, who do not know the abstract dimension of love, the lovers of  the poem can be reassured in their distance because they are "inter-assurance of the mind". What is more departure sublimes their love: it calls for  an "expansion". Even metaphorically  it allows a "circle just". And what is more  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, mathematically linked to the covering of a circumference.

         Alliteration is largely adopted in the text: words play with the sound -s (pass, souls, sense, less, lips, miss, compasses, ...) thus suggesting  a musical singsong recalling the effect of a circular re-turning from end to beginning.

A particularly effective example of alliteration is provided in lines 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' leaving. The second one compares the two souls to the stiff of a compass.

In addition Care loss, eyes, lips, and hands are references to a form of love privileging the physical element besides creating a parody of the typical conventions of corteous love.
The poet adopts metaphors to convey meanings. In line 6 crying is associated to a river (tear-floods) and sighs to an earthquake (sigh-tempest move) and they once again play on exaggeration as a way to create parody.

         However, the most important metaphor is the one of the compass (ll. 21-36), where the poet expresses the essence of lovers' relationship. In line with the image used, perfection calls for deep sympathy. Since the lovers are in tune, their relationship generate something complete, as do different images (two souls which are one, Such wilt thou be to me).
     Language reminds three aspects: natural, rational and  emotional. Nature is hinted at with reference to moving of th'earth, spheres, sublunary  also linked to sixteenth century cosmogony.

         Rationality is s compass. Emotion is evoked by souls, love and  lovers.
The emotional and rational areas are linked: the poet seems to be living some emotions in the mind and therefore the  Mind is not  dissociated from sensibility.

Various themes are tackled in the text . The departure of the title, is suggested both by organisation and content. The going away of a lover becomes a sacred 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" according to T.S. Eliot's  idea of metaphysical poetry. Two ideas of love are presented: dull sublunary lovers' love,mostly one affected by a physical experience based on eyes, lips, hands and what John Donne considers  true love , a so refin'd one  that expresses a relationship inter-assured of the mind. It  follows that real love is the expression of  two souls able to combine in unity. Therefore love becomes a form of being, as theorized by Neo-Platonism and, as a result the essence of love  shows in its presence is in one's beloved mind.

In addition, the reference to  number two under  different forms, becomes pregnant in the text.

         To begin with the couple of lovers is at the centre of the poem. Secondly, it is associated to the twin feet of a compasses. Besides there are two similes as well as the rhyme scheme is  an alternate rhyme and the word "two" shows a high density (four times =2x2).

         All in all reading the poem turned out into pleasure. The text proves to the poet to have really grasped  what may be considered the essence of living.