Jealousy by John Donne (Poem, Summary, Paraphrase, Analysis & Questions)

 

Jealousy

by John Donne

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase, Analysis & Questions) 

Jealousy

Fond woman, which wouldst have thy husband die,

And yet complain'st of his great jealousy;

If swol'n with poison, he lay in his last bed,

His body with a sere-bark being clad;

If swollen with dropsy, and he climbs so high

As to think none but thee can cure his malady,

Thou cry'st, ‘It is not love, I am unjust,

Because I should hate one that loved me thus.’

Because he shows more love than others do,

Thou think’st he doth not love; or love not true.

Love, a child, is ever crying;

Please him, and he straight is flying;

Give him he the more he thirsteth,

Give him not, and he goeth bursteth.

He is blind, and he is deaf too,

His wings too are clipped, and he cannot go.

He is lame, and has no sight,

But can creep and see in night;

Like a lamp, he can, near bred,

See the same things done and said.

Darkness kill’d his mother;

He can live in darkness rather.

He is naked; and in spite

Of all shoes, will have no delight.

He is weak, and all alone

Can do much hurt, being one.

All this I speak in hate of

Those that can have no debate of.

Thy husband he is wise and sound,

Yet dotes, and dares not look around.

In such love, who would be wise?

Love sometimes would not love’s disguise.

 

Summary

The speaker addresses a woman who complains about her jealous husband, yet ironically wishes he would die because of his jealousy. He points out the contradiction in her behavior — she dislikes her husband’s suspicions but still desires his death, which reveals a deeper discontent.

He imagines the husband suffering from diseases (like poisoning or dropsy, a swelling illness), lying on his deathbed, dressed in sere-bark (dried tree bark, symbolizing decay or death). Despite being ill, the husband still believes only his wife can cure him, which shows how strongly he clings to her love — or perhaps his obsession.

The speaker then describes how the woman dismisses this as not love, claiming that someone who loves her wouldn’t be so jealous or clingy. She says it’s unfair to hate someone who supposedly loves her so much — yet she still does. The speaker suggests she believes that because her husband shows more love than most, he must not truly love her, or at least not in a healthy, real way.

The poem then shifts into a series of metaphors to describe Love as a personified child:

Love is always crying, difficult to satisfy.

The more you give Love, the more it craves.

If you give nothing, it may burst from need or frustration.

Love is blind and deaf, with clipped wings, meaning it can’t see, hear, or move freely.

Though crippled and limited in daylight, Love can creep and function in the dark, meaning it thrives in secrecy or confusion.

Love's mother was killed by darkness, but Love itself survives in darkness — possibly a metaphor for secret or forbidden love.

Love is naked, doesn’t like shoes (perhaps comfort or stability), and is weak, yet dangerous even on its own.

The speaker presents these images not to explain love gently, but to express his disapproval of people who avoid confronting love’s troubles directly — especially those like the woman he’s addressing, who don’t want honest debate or accountability in relationships.

He ends by saying that the woman’s husband is a wise and sound man, but he is still overcome by foolish love and dares not even look around, possibly from fear of losing her or from deep suspicion. The poem closes with a reflective statement: in love, it’s often better not to be wise, because true love might wear the disguise of madness or foolishness.

 

Line-by-line Paraphrase

Fond woman, which wouldst have thy husband die,

Foolish woman, you actually wish your husband would die,

 

And yet complain'st of his great jealousy;

Yet you also complain that he’s too jealous.

 

If swol'n with poison, he lay in his last bed,

If he were dying, poisoned, lying on his deathbed,

 

His body with a sere-bark being clad;

With his body wrapped like a tree in dry bark (a metaphor for death clothes),

 

If swollen with dropsy, and he climbs so high

If he had dropsy (an illness that causes swelling) and imagined so highly,

 

As to think none but thee can cure his malady,

That only you could cure him of his sickness,

 

Thou cry'st, ‘It is not love, I am unjust,

You’d still complain: "This isn’t real love; I’m being treated unfairly."

 

Because I should hate one that loved me thus.’

Because I hate someone who claims to love me in this way.

 

Because he shows more love than others do,

Since he shows more affection than most people,

 

Thou think’st he doth not love; or love not true.

You believe he either doesn’t love you at all — or his love isn’t genuine.

 

Love, a child, is ever crying;

Love is like a child — always crying,

 

Please him, and he straight is flying;

Even when you please him, he runs away instantly.

 

Give him he the more he thirsteth,

The more you give him, the thirstier he becomes.

 

Give him not, and he goeth bursteth.

If you don’t give him anything, he explodes with frustration.

 

He is blind, and he is deaf too,

Love is blind and deaf,

 

His wings too are clipped, and he cannot go.

His wings are clipped — he cannot fly away.

 

He is lame, and has no sight,

He’s crippled and can’t see,

 

But can creep and see in night;

Yet he can still creep around and see in the dark.

 

Like a lamp, he can, near bred,

Like a lamp kept close, he can observe

 

See the same things done and said.

And catch the same actions and words repeatedly.

 

Darkness kill’d his mother;

Darkness (ignorance or secrecy) killed Love’s mother,

 

He can live in darkness rather.

But Love himself prefers to live in darkness.

 

He is naked; and in spite

Love is naked, and no matter what,

 

Of all shoes, will have no delight.

He refuses comfort — even shoes give him no pleasure.

 

He is weak, and all alone

He is weak, and though he is all alone,

 

Can do much hurt, being one.

He can still do a lot of harm on his own.

 

All this I speak in hate of

I say all this out of hatred for

 

Those that can have no debate of.

People who refuse to have honest discussions.

 

Thy husband he is wise and sound,

Your husband is wise and sensible,

 

Yet dotes, and dares not look around.

But he dotes on you so much he doesn’t dare look elsewhere (he’s afraid, jealous).

 

In such love, who would be wise?

Who would want to be wise in such a love?

 

Love sometimes would not love’s disguise.

Because love often comes dressed in a disguise — it looks like foolishness, not wisdom.

 

Analysis in Detail

John Donne’s Elegy: Jealousy is a complex exploration of love, possession, obsession, and emotional contradictions within a romantic relationship. Written in the tone of a dramatic monologue, the speaker addresses a woman who complains about her husband’s excessive jealousy. Ironically, she not only detests this possessiveness but also secretly wishes him dead — revealing a deeply troubled emotional dynamic between love and loathing.

From the opening lines, Donne highlights the paradoxical nature of love and jealousy. The woman’s contradictory desires — to be loved but not controlled, to be free yet central to her husband’s world — are exposed with sharp wit. The speaker mocks her, implying that she wants the security and exclusivity of love but is unwilling to accept the natural consequences of such emotional investment, such as jealousy or vulnerability.

Donne continues by constructing powerful metaphors of illness to describe the husband’s emotional condition. Phrases like “swollen with poison” or “dropsy” evoke images of decay and suffering, suggesting that his love has become a kind of self-destructive sickness. Yet the husband remains devoted, even believing that only his wife can cure him. This metaphor implies that love, when unbalanced or obsessive, can become pathological — a disease that the lover clings to, despite its toll.

In the central section of the poem, Donne turns his attention from the woman and her husband to the nature of Love itself, personifying it as a restless, demanding, irrational child. Love is described as always crying, never satisfied, easily wounded, and dangerously independent despite its apparent helplessness. These images expose Donne’s view of love as inherently irrational, unstable, and even self-sabotaging. Love does not follow logic or reason — it is blind, deaf, crippled, and yet deeply alive in darkness and secrecy. The metaphor suggests that even when love is wounded or restricted, it continues to act, influence, and wound others in return.

The poem takes a darker tone as Donne reflects on how Love thrives in shadows, preferring secrecy and discomfort to safety and clarity. Love is “naked” and refuses any comfort like shoes — symbolic of protection, normalcy, or support. Love is weak, yes, but capable of immense harm even when isolated. Through these contradictory qualities, Donne presents Love as a force both infantile and monstrous — pitiable and yet dangerous.

The closing lines turn back toward the woman and her husband. Donne declares that the husband, though wise and rational in all other ways, becomes foolish under the spell of love. He is so overwhelmed with devotion that he cannot even “look around,” meaning he is blind to other perspectives or realities — consumed entirely by his feelings for his wife. The final two lines leave us with a striking thought: in matters of love, wisdom may be more of a burden than a blessing. Love disguises itself in foolishness, and perhaps one must be foolish to truly love.

Throughout the elegy, Donne’s tone shifts from ironic and mocking to serious and darkly reflective. His mastery of paradox, metaphor, and personification allows him to expose the raw contradictions of human emotions — especially how love and jealousy often coexist, feeding off each other. He criticizes not just the jealous lover but also the one who dismisses such jealousy without understanding its roots.

Structurally, the poem is a dramatic dialogue — a one-sided address to a woman, filled with emotional reasoning, philosophical insight, and vivid imagery. Its rhymed couplets help maintain a conversational rhythm, while the dense imagery and metaphysical conceits (a hallmark of Donne’s style) elevate a personal subject to a universal meditation on love’s complexities.

 

Possible Exam Questions

What is the main theme of Elegy I: Jealousy?

 

How does Donne describe the nature of love in the poem?

 

Who is the speaker addressing in the poem, and why?

 

What metaphor is used for the husband’s illness?

 

How is jealousy portrayed in the poem?

 

Quote and explain the line: "Love, a child, is ever crying."

 

What does the speaker mean by saying "Love sometimes would not love’s disguise"?

 

How does Donne personify Love in the central part of the poem?

 

Discuss the contradictory emotions portrayed in Elegy I: Jealousy.

 

Explain how Donne uses disease imagery to depict obsessive love in the poem.

 

Describe Donne’s personification of Love. How does it reflect the speaker’s view on romantic relationships?

 

What attitude does the speaker hold toward the woman he addresses? Support your answer with examples from the poem.

 

Explore the structure and tone of Elegy I: Jealousy and how they contribute to its meaning.

 

Examine the interplay between love and jealousy as presented in the poem.

 

“In matters of love, wisdom may not be a virtue.” Discuss this idea with reference to Elegy I: Jealousy.

 

Critically appreciate Donne’s poetic techniques in Elegy I: Jealousy, focusing on imagery, personification, and paradox.

 

How does Donne challenge traditional romantic ideals through Elegy I: Jealousy?

 

Analyze Elegy I: Jealousy as an example of metaphysical poetry.

 

What light does the poem throw on John Donne’s understanding of human emotions and relationships?