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

 

The Legacy

by John Donne

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase, Analysis & Questions) 

The Legacy

When I died last, and, dear, I die

As often as from thee I go,

Though it be but an hour ago,

And lovers’ hours be full eternity,

I can remember yet, that I

Something did say, and something did bestow;

Though I be dead, which sent me, I should be

Mine own executor and legacy.

 

I heard me say, “Tell her anon,

That myself,” that is you, not I,

“Did kill me,” and when I felt me die,

I bid me send my heart, when I was gone;

But I alas! could there find none,

When I had ripp’d me and search’d where hearts did lie;

It kill’d me again, that I who still was true,

In life, in my last will should cozen you.

 

Yet I found something like a heart,

But colours it, and corners had;

It was not good, it was not bad,

It was entire to none, and few had part.

As good as could be made by art

It seem’d, and therefore for our loss be sad.

Since it is so, we’ll make our hearts away;

Yet not to one, but all, since we must say,

We died at sea, who brought our hearts to bay.

 

Summary

Stanza 1 Summary:

The speaker begins by recalling the moment of parting from his beloved. He says that whenever he leaves her—even for a short while—it feels like death to him. This time, as in other partings, he “died.” Even if only an hour has passed since he left, it feels like an eternity because lovers perceive time differently.

He remembers that during this emotional “death,” he said something meaningful and gave something of himself to her. Though he is metaphorically dead, he feels that he should still be the one to carry out his own final wishes (like an executor of a will) and that he himself is the “legacy” left behind.

 

Stanza 2 Summary:

The speaker recalls telling someone—perhaps a messenger or his own mind—to inform his beloved that she was the one who metaphorically killed him. The idea is that her absence caused his emotional death.

As he felt himself “die,” he instructed that his heart should be sent to her. But when he searched inside himself, he couldn’t find it. This devastated him all over again. He was always faithful to her in life, and it pains him to think that in his “last will,” he might unintentionally deceive her by not truly giving her his heart.

 

Stanza 3 Summary:

Eventually, he did find something that resembled a heart—but it didn’t look quite right. It had unusual shapes, colors, and corners. It didn’t seem entirely good or entirely bad. It wasn’t fully committed to anyone, though a few had small parts of it.

It appeared to be an artificial heart, something made by skill (art), not something naturally pure or whole. This discovery makes him feel sorrowful—if this is all he has left to give, then it’s a poor legacy. Since neither he nor she has a complete heart, they might as well give theirs away, not just to each other, but to everyone, because they have been emotionally defeated, like hearts that have been forced to surrender at sea.

 

Line-by-line Paraphrase

Stanza 1

When I died last, and, dear, I die

The last time I left you, it felt like I died, my dear,

 

As often as from thee I go,

Because every time I leave you, it feels like a little death.

 

Though it be but an hour ago,

Even if it was just an hour ago,

 

And lovers’ hours be full eternity,

Time feels endless to lovers when they are apart.

 

I can remember yet, that I

I still remember clearly that I

 

Something did say, and something did bestow;

Spoke some words and gave something to you.

 

Though I be dead, which sent me, I should be

Even though I am (metaphorically) dead now, I should be

 

Mine own executor and legacy.

Both the one who carries out my will and the gift I leave behind.

 

Stanza 2

I heard me say, “Tell her anon,

I remember saying, “Tell her soon,

 

That myself,” that is you, not I,

That I (meaning you, since you are my everything)

 

“Did kill me,” and when I felt me die,

“You caused my death,” and as I felt myself dying,

 

I bid me send my heart, when I was gone;

I told myself to send you my heart after I was gone.

 

But I alas! could there find none,

But sadly, I couldn’t find my heart within me.

 

When I had ripp’d me and search’d where hearts did lie;

Even after tearing myself open and searching where the heart should be.

 

It kill’d me again, that I who still was true,

It felt like dying all over again—because I had always been faithful,

 

In life, in my last will should cozen you.

And yet, in my final act, I might be cheating you by not giving a true heart.

 

Stanza 3

Yet I found something like a heart,

Still, I found something that looked like a heart,

 

But colours it, and corners had;

But it had strange colors and sharp corners;

 

It was not good, it was not bad,

It wasn’t clearly good or bad;

 

It was entire to none, and few had part.

It didn’t belong completely to anyone, though a few had parts of it.

 

As good as could be made by art

It was as good as something artificial could be,

 

It seem’d, and therefore for our loss be sad.

It only seemed like a heart—so let’s grieve for what we've lost.

 

Since it is so, we’ll make our hearts away;

Since this is how it is, let’s give our hearts away entirely,

 

Yet not to one, but all, since we must say,

But not just to one person—let’s give them to everyone—since we have to admit,

 

We died at sea, who brought our hearts to bay.

We were emotionally shipwrecked, like people cornered at sea, unable to escape.

 

Analysis in Detail

John Donne’s “The Legacy” is a metaphysical poem that explores the emotional and spiritual experience of parting from a lover. The poem dramatizes a temporary separation as a kind of symbolic death, and presents the speaker's internal struggle to offer his heart—his most sincere self—as a lasting gift or legacy to the woman he loves. However, he questions the authenticity and completeness of the gift, as he finds his heart divided and artificial. This creates a complex emotional tension at the heart of the poem.

 

Theme:

Love as Emotional Death:

Donne equates parting from a beloved with dying. This is a metaphor often found in metaphysical poetry, where love is portrayed as so intense that any separation feels fatal. The speaker says, “When I died last,” and describes each parting as a kind of death, showing how deeply love affects him.

 

The Heart as Legacy:

The poem revolves around the idea of leaving a legacy—something valuable passed on after death. In this case, the speaker wishes to give his heart to his beloved, symbolizing his affection and essence. But upon introspection, he finds his heart flawed, not wholly good or bad, and not entirely hers. This failure creates a sense of sorrow and regret.

 

Doubt and Disillusionment in Love:

The speaker discovers that the heart he wants to gift is not pure or whole—it is oddly shaped, colored, and not entirely loyal. This suggests doubt in the relationship, or perhaps in the speaker’s own emotional integrity. There’s a subtle sense of disillusionment and the realization that love, no matter how passionate, may be tainted by imperfection.

 

Conflict Between Ideal and Reality:

The speaker wants to live up to the ideal of love—sincere, selfless, complete—but reality interrupts. He realizes that the heart he thought was completely hers is more complex, shared, perhaps even artificial. This tension between idealism and realism adds philosophical depth to the poem.

 

Tone and Mood:

Melancholic and Reflective:

The tone is sad but calm, full of thoughtful regret. The speaker mourns both his emotional “death” and his inability to give a perfect legacy. The mood is intimate, meditative, and tinged with quiet sorrow.

 

Ironic and Self-Aware:

Donne’s metaphysical wit is visible in the way the speaker examines himself—his own sincerity, his legacy, and even his possible deception. The poem is not self-pitying; instead, it’s self-questioning, and at times ironic.

 

Poetic Devices:

Metaphysical Conceits:

The entire poem hinges on extended metaphors: parting as death, the heart as a will or legacy, the speaker as both deceased and executor of his own emotional estate.

 

Paradox:

The speaker says he is “dead” but also acting after death.

He wants to give his heart but finds none.

He has been true in life, but possibly false in love’s “last will.”

 

Imagery:

Vivid images of searching within himself, tearing his body open to find a heart, are metaphorical yet startlingly intense.

 

Symbolism:

Heart: Represents love, emotional truth, sincerity.

Sea/Bay (last line): Possibly symbolizes emotional turmoil, defeat, surrender—he is cornered and unable to move forward emotionally.

 

Alliteration and Musicality:

Donne uses sound devices to create rhythm, e.g., “colours it, and corners had” echoes the jagged, unnatural quality of the heart he finds.

 

Structure and Voice:

The poem is composed of three stanzas of nine lines each. There’s no strict rhyme scheme, but Donne’s use of meter and rhythm gives it a flowing, meditative quality.

The first-person voice brings immediacy and emotional authenticity. It feels like a soliloquy—a personal confession or introspective musing.

 

Interpretation:

“The Legacy” ultimately portrays the complexities of love—the gap between the desire to give wholly and the human inability to do so perfectly. It is a love poem, but not in the conventional romantic sense. Instead, it’s deeply introspective, dealing with emotional integrity, self-deception, and the spiritual cost of love.

Donne doesn’t offer easy answers. Instead, he leaves us with a haunting image: two lovers who have been emotionally shipwrecked, unable to give or receive hearts as purely as they once hoped.

 

Possible Exam Questions

 

🔹 Short Answer Questions:

What is the central theme of “The Legacy”?

 

Why does the speaker describe his separation from the beloved as a kind of “death”?

 

What does the speaker try to give his beloved as a “legacy”?

 

How does the speaker describe the heart he finds within himself?

 

Explain the meaning of the line: “Though I be dead, which sent me, I should be / Mine own executor and legacy.”

 

What literary device is used when the speaker says he is both the executor and the legacy?

 

What does the phrase “We died at sea, who brought our hearts to bay” suggest?

 

🔹 Long Answer / Essay-Type Questions:

Discuss the use of metaphysical conceit in “The Legacy”. How does John Donne compare emotional experiences to legal and physical death?

 

Analyze the poem “The Legacy” as an expression of self-doubt and emotional honesty in love. How does Donne explore the tension between intention and reality in relationships?

 

How does Donne use the image of the “heart” in “The Legacy” to convey the complexity of human emotions and love?

 

Examine the structure and tone of “The Legacy”. How do they contribute to the poem’s meaning and emotional effect?

 

Explore the theme of imperfection in love as portrayed in “The Legacy”. What does the poem suggest about the human capacity to love fully?

 

🔹 Critical Thinking Questions:

Do you think the speaker is sincere in his gift to the beloved, or is he ironically aware of his failure? Justify your answer.

 

Can “The Legacy” be seen as a poem about spiritual as well as romantic struggle? Why or why not?

 

Why might John Donne have chosen legal and medical imagery (executor, legacy, cutting himself open) to express romantic emotion?

 

🔹 Extract-Based Questions:

Read the lines and answer the questions below:

“Yet I found something like a heart,

But colours it, and corners had;

It was not good, it was not bad,

It was entire to none, and few had part.”

 

What does the speaker mean by “something like a heart”?

 

What does the description of the heart tell us about the speaker’s emotional state?

 

How do these lines reflect the theme of disillusionment?