The logics presented by the speaker in favor of canonization of their love in the poem ''The Canonization''

Canonization is the act by which the Roman Catholic Church officially declares a dead man as a saint. In John Donne's famous love-lyric ''The Canonization'', the poet expresses his desire to be canonized or to be announced as the saint of love through excellent conceits and imageries. The love of the poet and his beloved is supreme and noble, they are models of love. So they will be immortalized and honoured as the saints of love after their death. Though no one will officially declare them to be canonized, he expects that they will be canonized through their love lyrics and sonnets. The lovers are devoted to each other as a saint is devoted to God. Thus, they are canonized by their holy passion of love. The significance of the title of the poem is exceptionally high. John Donne, who is considered to be the founder and leader of the metaphysical school of poetry, has revealed his desire to become legendary and immortal, through his love poems and lyrics. We find his utmost intension has become fruitful. Even in this modern age, Donne's poems are immensely popular among the readers. People study them, analyse them, think over them and above all, follow them in real life. And in this way, the poet's dream to be canonized or to be immortalized has become successful. Now let us discuss the logics that Donne sets up to canonize their love.

In ''The Canonization'', Donne sets up a five-stanza argument to demonstrate the power and purity of love between him and his beloved. Each stanza begins and ends with the word ''love''. The very beginning of the poem shocks the reader with a blow of astonishment-
For God's sake hold your tongue, and let me love
The poet here rebukes his friend who tries to discourage him from making love. He asks his friend to shut his mouth and not to disturb him at his romantic moment. He can attack the poet's gout or paralysis or baldness or his misfortune, but it will be totally useless. Just in the same way it is equally futile for him to try to dissuade the poet from love-making. The poet advises to the complainer that he should turn his attention elsewhere. He suggests various ways in which his friend might occupy himself. He should try to gain wealth and improve his condition; or should try to concentrate his mind in acquiring knowledge and develop a taste for art. He may try to occupy a position at the royal court and thereby get a chance of observing the king in his true colours or he may try to make money and thus see the king's image stamped on coins. He may do whatever he likes but he should not interfere with the poet's love-making with his beloved.

In the following stanza, the poet tells that nobody is hampered by their love-making. Here the poet has given some fantastic hyperboles. The poet parodies contemporary Petrarchan notions of love and continues to mock his addressee, making the point that his sighs have not drowned ships and his tears have not caused floods-
''Alas, alas, who's injured by my love?
What merchant's ships have my sighs drowned?
Who says my tears have overflowed his ground?

The coldness of his heart has not prolonged the winter season or slowed the arrival of spring. The warmth of his passion has not increased the number of persons who die of plague. His love will not keep soldiers from fighting wars or lawyers from finding court cases. In spite of his love, the normal life of the world continues as usual. By raising these arguments, the poet wants to say as no one is being affected by his love affairs, so anyone should not make any objection.

In the third stanza the speaker begins spinning off metaphors that will help explain the intensity and uniqueness of his love. The friend can call the poet and his beloved whatever he wishes, he can call them mad, but their madness is the result of their love. They are like moths drawn to lights, then they are like candles as they both burn themselves out in mutual love. They embody the elements of the eagle(strong and masculine) and the dove (peaceful and feminine). At the same time they are violent and gentle and prey on each other. The poet then shifts to image of the Phoenix, another death-by-fire symbol. Donne has used here the allusion of  phoenix riddle. Phoenix is a mythological bird in Greek  mythology which is monstrous and miraculous like dragon. This bird makes a pyre after every 500 years and jumps into it and burns itself into ashes. Then it takes rebirth from its ashes. So this bird is a symbol of immortality. It is a bird of neutral sex. It is neither a male nor a female. It is a combination of two sexes. Donne believes that his love with his beloved is immortal like phoenix. At the same time he believes that their united soul is the combination of two sexes. They form one being of unisex. It proves their inseparable bondage and purified union-
The phoenix riddle hath more wit
By us; we two being one, are it.
[...]
We die and rise the same, and prove
Mysterious by this love.

The poet here shows that even though their flames of passion will consume them, the poet and his beloved will be reborn from the ashes of their love.

The fourth stanza opens out to consider the legacy of the poet's love with his beloved. If they cannot live together by their love, they can at least die by it. Their love will endure in legend if they are considered unfit for grave and funeral, the language of verse and chronicles will describe it. The glory of their love would be remembered through lyrics and sonnets. When people will hear these songs, they would regard them as hymns. Their love is self-contained and perfect like a well-wrought urn. The ashes in this urn are meant to spread, the tale of perfect love will be spread throughout the world.

The final stanza voices the poet's sense of future vindication over the critic. The poet expects that the rest of the world will invoke himself and his beloved, as their love was supreme and holy. Love brought them peace of soul. The whole world was present as they looked into each other's eyes. They served as mirrors to each other, they could see their own reflection in each other. They are role models of love for the world, because-
Countries, towns, courts: beg from above
A pattern of your love!
The lover's legend has grown, and they have reached a kind of sainthod. Generations of future lovers from all around the world will appeal for help to them, and everyone will follow their pattern of love.


From the light of above discussion, we can form an opinion that ''The Canonization'' is one of Donne's most famous and most written-about poems.The poem shows the craftsmanship of Donne at his best. The analogies and the imageries used in the poem are the  finest examples of Donne's wits. The wish of the poet to be immortalized that he expresses through this poem, has been fulfilled. Although he is a poet of 17th century, we are studying and following his poems in our love affairs. So in this way, what Donne expected, is proven true. The love of him and his beloved can never be destroyed, it will be followed by people for generations, as they have been canonized by their supremacy of love.

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