On Donne's Poetry by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Poem, Summary, & Analysis)

 

On Donne's Poetry

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

(Poem, Summary, & Analysis) 

On Donne's Poetry

With Donne, whose muse on dromedary trots,

Wreathe iron pokers into true-love knots;

Rhyme's sturdy cripple, fancy's maze and clue,

Wit's forge and fire-blast, meaning's press and screw.

 

Summary

The poem is a brief but striking commentary on the poetry of John Donne, the renowned metaphysical poet. Coleridge begins by describing Donne’s poetic style in a somewhat humorous and critical tone. He likens Donne’s muse to a dromedary (a type of camel), suggesting that his poetry moves in an awkward or uneven manner rather than flowing smoothly. This comparison reflects Donne’s use of complex and often irregular meter in his poetry.

Coleridge then comments on Donne’s ability to take seemingly rigid and unyielding ideas and mold them into intricate, meaningful expressions, much like twisting iron pokers into delicate love knots. This highlights Donne’s intellectual ingenuity and his talent for transforming difficult concepts into striking poetic images.

Next, Coleridge refers to Donne as “rhyme’s sturdy cripple,” a paradoxical phrase that suggests Donne’s struggle with rhyme and meter while still producing strong, innovative poetry. The phrase also hints at Donne’s tendency to use unconventional and sometimes strained rhyming patterns. Additionally, Coleridge describes Donne’s poetry as both a “maze” and a “clue,” suggesting that while Donne’s works are intricate and difficult to navigate, they also contain intellectual depth and resolution for those who engage with them deeply.

The following line portrays Donne as a craftsman of wit, comparing his poetic process to a forge, a fire-blast, a press, and a screw. These mechanical and industrial metaphors emphasize the laborious and intense nature of Donne’s poetic composition, where he refines meaning through forceful and precise techniques.

The poem, though brief, encapsulates Coleridge’s view of Donne’s poetry as intellectually rich, complex, and at times cumbersome. While acknowledging Donne’s brilliance and ingenuity, Coleridge also subtly critiques the difficulty and sometimes forced nature of his poetic style.

 

Analysis in Detail

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s On Donne’s Poetry is a brief yet dense critique of John Donne’s poetic style. In just four lines, Coleridge encapsulates both admiration and criticism of Donne’s unique approach to poetry, focusing on its intellectual complexity, irregularity, and ingenuity.

 

Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: “With Donne, whose muse on dromedary trots,”

Coleridge opens the poem with a striking image, comparing Donne’s poetic muse to a dromedary (a one-humped camel). This metaphor suggests that Donne’s poetry does not move with the smooth, graceful rhythm expected of traditional verse but instead has an uneven, lumbering gait. Camels are known for their awkward yet enduring movement, which parallels the perceived difficulty of Donne’s poetry—marked by irregular meter, abrupt shifts, and complex phrasing.

This line immediately establishes Coleridge’s ambivalence toward Donne’s work. While it acknowledges Donne’s poetic strength and endurance, it also highlights his lack of fluidity and musicality, which contrasts sharply with the Romantic ideals of poetry that Coleridge himself championed.

 

Line 2: “Wreathe iron pokers into true-love knots;”

This metaphor is a testament to Donne’s intellectual prowess and intricate poetic style. Iron pokers are rigid and inflexible, making them difficult to bend, just as complex philosophical or theological ideas are challenging to express poetically. Yet, Donne is able to “wreathe” them into “true-love knots,” suggesting his ability to transform rigid and unyielding concepts into delicate, meaningful poetic expressions.

This line also alludes to Donne’s metaphysical conceits—extended, often surprising comparisons that link seemingly unrelated ideas. Donne frequently wove together abstract intellectualism with deep emotional intensity, particularly in his love poetry. The phrase “true-love knots” emphasizes Donne’s tendency to blend passion with intellectual argument, creating poetry that is simultaneously affectionate and cerebral.

However, there is also an implicit critique: the act of twisting iron pokers into knots is unnatural and forced. This suggests that Donne’s poetic ingenuity, though impressive, sometimes comes at the cost of natural elegance and spontaneity.

 

Line 3: “Rhyme’s sturdy cripple, fancy’s maze and clue,”

This line presents a paradox. The phrase “rhyme’s sturdy cripple” appears contradictory—how can something be both strong (“sturdy”) and disabled (“cripple”)? This reflects Donne’s unconventional use of rhyme and meter. While his poetry is robust and intellectually powerful, it does not conform to traditional poetic structures, often bending the rules of prosody. His verse can feel strained or awkward, yet it remains forceful and innovative.

The second part of the line, “fancy’s maze and clue,” suggests that Donne’s poetry is both intricate and revealing. “Fancy” here refers to imagination or creative thought, which in Donne’s poetry often takes labyrinthine forms, requiring careful navigation. Yet, Donne also provides the “clue” (as in a thread leading out of a maze, like the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur), meaning that within the complexity of his poetry, there is ultimately a path to understanding.

This duality captures the essence of Donne’s work: it is intellectually demanding, requiring effort to unravel, but it offers rich rewards for those willing to engage with it deeply.

 

Line 4: “Wit’s forge and fire-blast, meaning’s press and screw.”

This line is packed with mechanical and industrial metaphors, emphasizing the intense labor that goes into Donne’s poetic craftsmanship. The phrase “wit’s forge and fire-blast” portrays Donne’s poetry as a process of refining raw intellectual material under extreme conditions, much like a blacksmith shaping metal through heat and hammering. This reflects the sharpness and intensity of Donne’s wit, which is often forceful, striking, and full of intellectual rigor.

Similarly, “meaning’s press and screw” suggests a process of compression and precision. Donne’s poetry distills profound meaning into dense, compact expressions, sometimes through intricate wordplay, paradoxes, and metaphysical conceits. The imagery of a press and a screw implies that Donne’s poetic method involves squeezing and extracting the deepest possible meaning from language.

However, these images also carry an implicit criticism. The processes described—blasting, forging, pressing, and screwing—are all mechanical and somewhat harsh. This suggests that Donne’s poetry, while intellectually brilliant, can feel laborious, rigid, and overly worked.

 

Overall Themes and Interpretation

Donne’s Complex and Unconventional Style:

Coleridge presents Donne as a poet whose work is intellectually rich but challenging to read. His irregular rhythms (the “dromedary”), intricate conceits (the “iron pokers”), and paradoxical expressions make his poetry both fascinating and difficult.

 

The Balance Between Wit and Poetic Grace:

While Coleridge acknowledges Donne’s intellectual brilliance and ability to manipulate language, he also implies that Donne’s poetry lacks the natural fluidity of more traditional verse. His poetic construction is deliberate and mechanical rather than effortless and organic.

 

Ambivalence Toward Metaphysical Poetry:

The poem encapsulates the mixed reactions to Donne’s work. On one hand, Donne is praised for his ingenuity and depth. On the other hand, his poetry is seen as overly complex and at times forced, making it less accessible. Coleridge’s view aligns with the general 18th-century and early 19th-century perception of Donne, which often criticized his poetry for being too intellectual and lacking in smoothness.

 

Conclusion

Coleridge’s On Donne’s Poetry is a brief but potent critique of John Donne’s poetic style. Through a series of rich metaphors and paradoxes, Coleridge conveys both admiration and reservation. He acknowledges Donne’s intellectual brilliance, originality, and wit but also critiques his poetry’s mechanical nature, uneven rhythm, and complex conceits. The poem thus serves as both an homage to Donne’s genius and a reflection on the difficulties of his poetic style, highlighting the tension between intellectual rigor and aesthetic beauty in poetry.

 

Critical Evaluation

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s On Donne’s Poetry is a compact yet insightful commentary on John Donne’s poetic style. In just four lines, Coleridge encapsulates the essence of Donne’s work, offering both praise and criticism. While the poem recognizes Donne’s intellectual depth and ingenuity, it also highlights the perceived flaws in his style, particularly his irregular meter, strained conceits, and mechanical precision. This evaluation explores Coleridge’s critique in depth, considering its historical context, poetic structure, and implications.

 

1. Coleridge’s View on Donne: Praise and Criticism

Coleridge’s tone in the poem is a mix of admiration and irony. He acknowledges Donne’s brilliance but also points out his stylistic excesses.

Admiration for Donne’s Intellectual Ingenuity

Donne is depicted as a poet of immense wit and originality. The phrase “Wreathe iron pokers into true-love knots” illustrates Donne’s ability to take rigid, intellectual concepts and transform them into emotionally charged poetry.

The phrase “fancy’s maze and clue” suggests that Donne’s poetry, though intricate and difficult, ultimately provides insight and resolution. This highlights his ability to craft complex metaphysical conceits that, when unraveled, reveal deep meaning.

The industrial imagery in “wit’s forge and fire-blast, meaning’s press and screw” reinforces Donne’s skill in refining raw thought into polished poetic expression, demonstrating a labor-intensive and highly intellectual creative process.

 

Criticism of Donne’s Poetic Style

The comparison of Donne’s muse to a “dromedary” suggests an awkward and ungraceful movement in his poetry. This critique aligns with common complaints about Donne’s verse—his frequent use of irregular meter and abrupt shifts in tone.

The phrase “rhyme’s sturdy cripple” is paradoxical, reflecting how Donne’s poetry, though strong in content, often disregards traditional rhythmic beauty. Donne’s unconventional use of rhyme and syntax is seen as both a strength and a weakness.

The metaphor of forging and pressing meaning (“press and screw”) implies that Donne’s poetry is overly worked, suggesting an artificial or forced quality rather than effortless lyricism.

 

2. The Historical Context: Shifting Perceptions of Donne

During Coleridge’s time (late 18th and early 19th centuries), John Donne’s poetry was not widely celebrated. The 18th century, dominated by Neoclassical ideals, preferred clarity, balance, and refined poetic diction, as seen in poets like Alexander Pope. Donne’s elaborate metaphors, intellectual intensity, and unconventional structure were seen as excessive or even crude.

Coleridge, part of the Romantic movement, valued emotional depth and imaginative richness, yet he still found Donne’s poetry somewhat mechanical and overly intellectual. However, unlike earlier critics who dismissed Donne entirely, Coleridge acknowledged his unique brilliance.

Later in the 20th century, literary scholars like T.S. Eliot played a key role in re-evaluating Donne, praising his unified sensibility—the seamless blending of thought and emotion. Modern criticism tends to appreciate Donne’s complexity, seeing his unconventional style as a deliberate artistic choice rather than a flaw.

 

3. The Poem’s Structure and Effectiveness

Despite its brevity, On Donne’s Poetry is densely packed with meaning. Coleridge employs:

Concise and vivid metaphors: The imagery of a dromedary, iron pokers, a forge, and a screw all evoke strong impressions of Donne’s poetic technique.

Paradox and irony: Phrases like “rhyme’s sturdy cripple” and “fancy’s maze and clue” encapsulate both strengths and weaknesses, adding depth to the critique.

Compressed expression: The poem mirrors Donne’s own style—complex and layered, requiring careful unpacking.

This structured and metaphor-rich approach makes Coleridge’s critique both engaging and intellectually stimulating.

 

4. Implications of Coleridge’s Critique

Coleridge’s assessment of Donne raises important questions about poetic style and readability:

Should poetry prioritize intellect over musicality? Donne’s poetry is highly intellectual but sometimes at the cost of smoothness. Coleridge’s critique suggests that while Donne’s ideas are brilliant, his execution can feel laborious.

Is complexity a virtue or a flaw? Coleridge acknowledges Donne’s ability to weave intricate poetic structures, but he also hints that these structures can be overly complicated, making them difficult for readers to follow.

What defines poetic excellence? Coleridge contrasts Donne’s poetry with the ideals of Romantic poetry, which favored natural expression and emotional intensity over elaborate conceits and intellectual puzzles.

 

Conclusion

Coleridge’s On Donne’s Poetry is a masterful and concise critique, highlighting the dual nature of Donne’s poetic style—its intellectual brilliance and its technical awkwardness. While Coleridge appreciates Donne’s ingenuity and wit, he also finds his poetry rigid and overworked. This nuanced evaluation reflects the broader historical debate about Donne’s literary merit.

In retrospect, Coleridge’s assessment captures the essence of Donne’s poetry: it is challenging but rewarding, complex but profound. While Donne’s style may not align with conventional poetic beauty, it possesses a unique power that has led to his lasting influence in English literature.

 

Poetic Devices Used

Samuel Taylor Coleridge employs a variety of poetic devices in On Donne’s Poetry to convey both admiration and critique of John Donne’s poetic style. These devices enhance the poem’s richness and depth, making its critique more vivid and memorable. Below are the key poetic devices used in the poem:

 

1. Metaphor

Coleridge uses multiple metaphors to describe Donne’s poetry, often comparing it to physical objects or processes to highlight its qualities.

“With Donne, whose muse on dromedary trots”

Compares Donne’s poetic muse to a dromedary (a one-humped camel), suggesting that his poetry moves in an awkward or uneven manner rather than smoothly.

“Wreathe iron pokers into true-love knots”

Describes Donne’s poetic ingenuity as the ability to bend rigid and unyielding ideas (iron pokers) into delicate expressions of love, much like his metaphysical conceits.

“Wit’s forge and fire-blast, meaning’s press and screw”

Uses industrial metaphors (forge, fire-blast, press, and screw) to represent Donne’s intense, laborious poetic process, portraying his poetry as something crafted through force and precision.

 

2. Paradox

Coleridge employs paradoxes to highlight the dual nature of Donne’s poetry—its strength and its flaws.

“Rhyme’s sturdy cripple”

A paradoxical phrase that suggests Donne’s poetry is strong yet also constrained, as if struggling with the demands of rhyme. This reflects how Donne’s unconventional approach to rhythm and meter makes his poetry feel both powerful and awkward.

“Fancy’s maze and clue”

Describes Donne’s poetry as a maze (complex and difficult to navigate) but also a clue (offering a way to understand meaning). This highlights how Donne’s poetry is intricate yet ultimately rewarding for those who engage with it.

 

3. Irony

Coleridge’s descriptions contain a subtle irony, simultaneously praising Donne’s skill while critiquing his style.

The “dromedary” comparison is ironic because it suggests that while Donne’s poetry has endurance, it lacks grace.

The “iron pokers” metaphor is also ironic—love poetry is usually associated with softness and fluidity, yet Donne’s poetry is likened to bending iron, implying an unnatural forcefulness.

 

4. Alliteration

Coleridge uses alliteration (the repetition of consonant sounds) to create rhythm and emphasis.

“Wit’s forge and fire-blast” (repetition of the “f” sound) enhances the industrial imagery, making Donne’s poetic process sound intense and mechanical.

“Meaning’s press and screw” (repetition of the “s” sound) reinforces the idea of pressure and constraint in Donne’s poetry.

 

5. Imagery

Coleridge uses vivid imagery to paint a picture of Donne’s poetic method and style.

The dromedary creates an image of a slow, awkward movement, mirroring Donne’s irregular verse.

The iron pokers and true-love knots evoke the contrast between Donne’s intellectual rigidity and his ability to express deep emotions.

The forge, fire-blast, press, and screw create a powerful image of Donne’s poetry being shaped through intense intellectual labor, as if it were being mechanically refined rather than flowing naturally.

 

6. Symbolism

Dromedary: Represents the unconventional and sometimes awkward rhythm of Donne’s poetry.

Iron pokers: Symbolize the inflexible, intellectual nature of Donne’s themes.

Maze and clue: Represent the complexity and hidden meaning within Donne’s poetry.

Forge and press: Symbolize the effort and precision in Donne’s poetic construction.

 

7. Contrast (Juxtaposition)

Coleridge frequently contrasts opposing ideas to highlight the contradictions in Donne’s poetic style.

“Iron pokers” vs. “true-love knots” → The rigidity of iron contrasts with the softness of love, mirroring Donne’s ability to blend intellect and emotion.

“Maze” vs. “clue” → Suggests both the complexity and the eventual clarity of Donne’s poetry.

“Forge and fire-blast” vs. “press and screw” → Contrasts raw creativity (forge, fire) with refinement and precision (press, screw).

 

8. Rhythmic Structure and Meter

The poem itself mirrors the subject it describes—just as Coleridge critiques Donne’s irregular rhythm, his own poem follows a compact and tightly controlled structure, emphasizing his point. The compressed expression and dense use of metaphors mirror Donne’s own poetic tendencies.

 

Conclusion

Coleridge’s On Donne’s Poetry is rich in poetic devices that enhance its critique of Donne’s style. Through metaphors, paradox, irony, imagery, and contrast, Coleridge captures both the brilliance and the difficulty of Donne’s poetry. The poem itself is a testament to Coleridge’s own literary skill, as he condenses a complex analysis into just four lines, using language as meticulously crafted as Donne’s own.

 

Comparison with other works

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s On Donne’s Poetry is a succinct yet layered critique of John Donne’s poetic style. When compared to other works—both those that critique Donne and those that share thematic or stylistic similarities—the poem offers an insightful perspective on the evolution of poetic evaluation.

 

1. Comparison with Neoclassical Criticism (Dryden and Pope)

Coleridge’s view on Donne echoes but also differs from the criticisms offered by Neoclassical poets such as John Dryden and Alexander Pope.

John Dryden (Essay of Dramatic Poesy, 1668)

Dryden acknowledged Donne’s wit but criticized his lack of musicality, calling his verses "not harmonious".

Like Coleridge, Dryden believed Donne’s poetry was highly intellectual but sometimes forced, an idea reflected in Coleridge’s metaphor of “meaning’s press and screw”.

Alexander Pope (Imitations of Horace, early 18th century)

Pope famously dismissed metaphysical poetry, describing it as “perverse” and full of far-fetched conceits.

Coleridge’s assessment is more balanced—he acknowledges Donne’s genius even while critiquing his style.

While Dryden and Pope largely rejected Donne’s work, Coleridge, though critical, still appreciated its complexity and ingenuity. This shows a shift from outright dismissal to a more nuanced understanding of Donne’s poetic artistry.

 

2. Comparison with T.S. Eliot’s View on Donne

In the 20th century, T.S. Eliot’s essay The Metaphysical Poets (1921) played a major role in rehabilitating Donne’s reputation. Eliot praised Donne for his ability to unify intellect and emotion—a perspective quite different from Coleridge’s.

Coleridge vs. Eliot

Coleridge acknowledges Donne’s wit and ingenuity but sees his poetry as mechanical and labored.

Eliot, in contrast, finds Donne’s blend of thought and feeling to be one of his greatest strengths, describing it as “unified sensibility”.

Where Coleridge compares Donne’s poetry to a “dromedary” (awkward and ungainly), Eliot sees Donne as a model for modern poetry’s intellectual depth.

Coleridge’s view reflects a Romantic concern for organic, emotional poetry, whereas Eliot values Donne’s cerebral complexity.

 

3. Comparison with Romantic Poetry

Coleridge’s critique of Donne can be understood in the context of Romanticism, which emphasized natural expression, emotional depth, and fluidity in poetry.

William Wordsworth (Preface to Lyrical Ballads, 1802)

Wordsworth advocated for simple, natural language in poetry, in contrast to Donne’s elaborate metaphysical conceits.

Coleridge’s critique of Donne’s forced poetic style aligns with Wordsworth’s preference for effortless, organic poetry.

John Keats (Negative Capability)

Keats championed the idea that great poets should be comfortable with ambiguity and not force meaning.

Coleridge’s metaphor of “meaning’s press and screw” suggests that Donne tries too hard to extract meaning, which contrasts with Keats’ ideal of letting meaning emerge naturally.

Coleridge’s criticism of Donne, then, reflects the Romantic era’s preference for fluidity and emotional immediacy over intellectual precision and structured wit.

 

4. Comparison with Other Poetic Critiques

Ben Jonson’s View on Donne

Donne’s contemporary, Ben Jonson, admired his intellect but criticized his rough meter, saying that “Donne, for not keeping of accent, deserved hanging”.

This echoes Coleridge’s image of Donne’s muse moving like a “dromedary”, reinforcing the idea that his verse was not smoothly flowing.

Samuel Johnson’s “Metaphysical Wit” (18th century)

In Lives of the Poets, Samuel Johnson criticized Donne for his “heterogeneous ideas yoked by violence together”.

Coleridge’s image of “wreathing iron pokers into true-love knots” mirrors Johnson’s view that Donne’s conceits were strained and unnatural.

Both Johnson and Coleridge acknowledge Donne’s intellectual brilliance but find his poetic style overly forced.

 

Conclusion

Coleridge’s On Donne’s Poetry aligns with earlier criticisms by Dryden and Pope but is more balanced—while he finds Donne’s style awkward and labored, he still recognizes his genius. Later critics like T.S. Eliot would argue against Coleridge’s assessment, championing Donne’s fusion of intellect and emotion. In the broader history of poetic criticism, Coleridge’s view serves as a transitional perspective between Neoclassical dismissal and modern appreciation of Donne’s work.