The Will By John Donne (Poem, Summary, Paraphrase, Analysis & Questions)

 

The Will

By John Donne

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase, Analysis & Questions) 

The Will

Before I sigh my last gasp, let me breathe,

Great Love, some legacies. I here bequeath

Mine eyes to Argus, if mine eyes can see;

If they be blind, then, Love, I give them thee;

My tongue to Fame; to ambassadors mine ears;

To women, or the sea, my tears;

Thou, Love, hast taught me heretofore

By making me serve her who had twenty more,

That I should give to none, but such as had too much before.

 

My constancy I to the planets give;

My truth to them who at the court do live;

Mine ingenuity and openness

To Jesuits; to buffoons my pensiveness;

My silence to any, who abroad hath been;

My money to a Capuchin.

Thou, Love, taught’st me, by appointing me

To love there, where no love received can be,

Only to give to such as have an incapacity.

 

My faith I give to Roman Catholics;

All my good works unto the Schismatics

Of Amsterdam; my best civility

And courtship to an university;

My modesty I give to soldiers bare;

My patience let gamesters share.

Thou, Love, taught’st me, by making me

Love her that holds my love disparity,

Only to give to those that count my gifts indignity.

 

I give my reputation to those

Which were my friends; mine industry to foes;

To schoolmen I bequeath my doubtfulness;

My sickness to physicians, or excess;

To nature all that I in rhyme have writ;

And to my company my wit.

Thou, Love, by making me adore

Her who begot this love in me before,

Taught’st me to make, as though I gave, when I did but restore.

 

To him for whom the passing bell next tolls

I give my physic-books; my written rolls

Of moral counsels I to Bedlam give;

My brazen medals unto them which live

In want of bread; to them which pass among

All foreigners, mine English tongue.

Thou, Love, by making me love one

Who thinks her friendship a fit portion

For younger lovers, dost my gifts thus disproportion.

 

Therefore I’ll give no more, but I’ll undo

The world by dying; because Love dies too.

Then all your beauties will be no more worth

Than gold in mines, where none doth draw it forth;

And all your graces no more use shall have

Than a sun-dial in a grave.

Thou, Love, taught’st me by making me

Love her who doth neglect both me and thee,

To invent and practise this philosophy:

By which my life I only lose, to gain thy liberty.

 

Summary

Stanza 1:

The speaker, imagining his death, wants to leave behind some “legacies” or bequests.

He starts by giving away his eyes to Argus (a mythical creature with many eyes), if they can still see. If they are blind, he gives them to Love (personified).

His tongue goes to Fame, so his words might still be remembered.

His ears go to ambassadors, who are always hearing things.

His tears go to women or the sea—both known for being vast and full of emotion.

He says Love once taught him to love a woman who already had many lovers, so now he’ll only give to those who already have too much.

 

Stanza 2:

He bequeaths his constancy to the planets, which are always in motion but consistent in their orbits.

His truthfulness goes to people at court, who are not usually known for honesty.

He gives his honesty and openness to Jesuits (a religious order often viewed as secretive), and his gloominess to clowns or jokers.

His silence goes to any traveler (perhaps because they’ve already heard or seen too much), and his money to a Capuchin monk, known for their poverty.

He recalls again that Love made him give his affection to someone who didn’t love him back, so now he’ll only give to those who can’t accept love.

 

Stanza 3:

His faith he gives to Roman Catholics, and his good works to the Schismatics (possibly Protestants in Amsterdam).

His best manners go to a university.

His modesty goes to bare soldiers, who may lack it, and his patience to gamblers, who need it most.

Again, he notes that Love taught him to give affection to someone who didn’t value it, so he now gives things to those who find his gifts worthless.

 

Stanza 4:

He gives his reputation to his friends (possibly sarcastically), and his hard work to his enemies.

His doubts he gives to schoolmen (scholars), his sickness to doctors, and his excesses to those who indulge in them.

He gives all his poetry to nature, and his wit to the people he associates with.

He remembers how he loved someone who awakened love in him long ago—so giving these things away is like simply returning what was already taken.

 

Stanza 5:

He gives his medical books to the person who dies next (who will need them), and his moral writings to the madmen at Bedlam (a mental asylum).

He gives his medals (achievements) to the poor, and his English language to foreigners.

He again reflects how Love made him love a woman who now offers only friendship—a gift more suited for someone younger and not for him. His gifts feel mismatched again.

 

Stanza 6 (Final Stanza):

The speaker decides he will give no more. Instead, he will undo the world by dying, because Love itself dies with him.

When Love is gone, all the beauty in women will be worthless—like gold hidden in a mine no one can access.

Their charms and graces will be useless—like a sun-dial placed in a grave.

Finally, he says Love taught him this: that loving someone who neglects both him and Love itself, makes him willing to die—not just to end his life, but to set Love free from his suffering.

 

Line-by-line Paraphrase

Before I sigh my last gasp, let me breathe,

Before I die and take my last breath, let me speak one final time,

 

Great Love, some legacies. I here bequeath

O Love, I want to leave behind some parting gifts.

 

Mine eyes to Argus, if mine eyes can see;

I leave my eyes to Argus (the many-eyed giant), if they still work.

 

If they be blind, then, Love, I give them thee;

But if they're blind, then Love, you can have them instead.

 

My tongue to Fame; to ambassadors mine ears;

I give my tongue to Fame so it may speak of me; my ears to ambassadors, who do a lot of listening.

 

To women, or the sea, my tears;

My tears I leave to women, or to the sea (both already have plenty).

 

Thou, Love, hast taught me heretofore

You, Love, have previously taught me

 

By making me serve her who had twenty more,

By making me love a woman who already had many lovers,

 

That I should give to none, but such as had too much before.

That I should only give to those who already have more than enough.

 

My constancy I to the planets give;

I give my faithfulness to the planets, which never stop moving.

 

My truth to them who at the court do live;

I give my honesty to people at court (who may need it the most).

 

Mine ingenuity and openness

I leave my cleverness and openness

 

To Jesuits; to buffoons my pensiveness;

To Jesuit priests; and my serious, thoughtful nature to jokers.

 

My silence to any, who abroad hath been;

I give my silence to any well-traveled person.

 

My money to a Capuchin.

I give my money to a Capuchin monk (known for poverty).

 

Thou, Love, taught’st me, by appointing me

You, Love, taught me, when you had me

 

To love there, where no love received can be,

Love someone who couldn’t love me back,

 

Only to give to such as have an incapacity.

That I should give only to those who are incapable of receiving.

 

My faith I give to Roman Catholics;

I leave my faith to the Roman Catholic Church.

 

All my good works unto the Schismatics

I give all my good deeds to the Protestants (those who broke away).

 

Of Amsterdam; my best civility

In Amsterdam; and I give my best manners

 

And courtship to an university;

And my polite gestures to a university.

 

My modesty I give to soldiers bare;

I give my modesty to bold and often brash soldiers.

 

My patience let gamesters share.

Let gamblers have my patience (they need it!).

 

Thou, Love, taught’st me, by making me

Love taught me, by making me

 

Love her that holds my love disparity,

Love someone who didn’t return my feelings equally,

 

Only to give to those that count my gifts indignity.

That I should give only to those who consider my gifts worthless.

 

I give my reputation to those

I leave my good name to those

 

Which were my friends; mine industry to foes;

Who were my friends; my hard work goes to my enemies.

 

To schoolmen I bequeath my doubtfulness;

I give my doubts to academic scholars.

 

My sickness to physicians, or excess;

I give my sickness either to doctors or to those who overindulge.

 

To nature all that I in rhyme have writ;

Everything I’ve written in verse I give to Nature.

 

And to my company my wit.

And I give my wit to those I spend time with.

 

Thou, Love, by making me adore

Love, by making me deeply admire

 

Her who begot this love in me before,

The one who caused this love in me earlier,

 

Taught’st me to make, as though I gave, when I did but restore.

You taught me to pretend I was giving when really I was just returning what was taken from me.

 

To him for whom the passing bell next tolls

To the next person who dies,

 

I give my physic-books; my written rolls

I give my medical books and all my written advice

 

Of moral counsels I to Bedlam give;

I give my moral teachings to the insane asylum (Bedlam).

 

My brazen medals unto them which live

I give my medals to those who are alive

 

In want of bread; to them which pass among

But are starving; and to wandering people

 

All foreigners, mine English tongue.

All foreigners can have my English language.

 

Thou, Love, by making me love one

Love, by making me love someone

 

Who thinks her friendship a fit portion

Who thinks only friendship is a proper gift

 

For younger lovers, dost my gifts thus disproportion.

Has caused my gifts to be completely mismatched.

 

Therefore I’ll give no more, but I’ll undo

So now I’ll stop giving—I’ll ruin everything

 

The world by dying; because Love dies too.

By dying myself, since Love will also die with me.

 

Then all your beauties will be no more worth

Then your beauty won’t be worth anything

 

Than gold in mines, where none doth draw it forth;

Like gold hidden in a mine where no one digs it up.

 

And all your graces no more use shall have

And your charm will be useless

 

Than a sun-dial in a grave.

Like a sundial buried in a grave.

 

Thou, Love, taught’st me by making me

Love, you taught me, by making me

 

Love her who doth neglect both me and thee,

Love someone who ignored both me and you,

 

To invent and practise this philosophy:

To come up with and follow this way of thinking:

 

By which my life I only lose, to gain thy liberty.

That by dying, I don’t just end my life, I also free you, Love, from this pain.

 

Analysis in Detail

1. Tone and Speaker’s Attitude

The tone of The Will is witty, ironic, and bitterly humorous, characteristic of Donne's metaphysical poetry. The speaker adopts a mock-legal voice, pretending to draft a will before dying. But instead of leaving worldly possessions, he distributes abstract qualities—emotions, virtues, and personal traits—to ironically inappropriate recipients. Behind the playfulness lies deep emotional pain caused by unrequited love.

His attitude fluctuates between sarcasm and sorrow. There is self-awareness in his suffering, and the poem becomes a clever exercise in emotional detachment and critique. He tries to regain control over a humiliating situation (loving someone who doesn’t return his love) by theatrically "giving away" his emotional assets.

 

2. Central Theme: Love and Disillusionment

At its core, the poem is about disappointed love and the emotional aftermath of rejection. Donne explores what remains of a person when love fails—how they deal with the wreckage of trust, loyalty, passion, and hope.

By distributing parts of himself to ironic recipients (e.g., giving his modesty to soldiers, truth to courtiers, and wit to his companions), Donne critiques not only his beloved’s rejection but society’s corruption and hypocrisy as well. Love becomes a microcosm for broader human failures.

Another important theme is emotional exhaustion—the speaker feels used up and wants to make one final gesture: a complete emotional divestment.

 

3. Use of Metaphysical Conceits

Donne's poetry is known for metaphysical conceits—elaborate, often surprising metaphors or comparisons. In The Will, the entire concept of a lover writing a legal will of emotional traits is itself a metaphysical conceit. He treats feelings as tangible property to be distributed, which creates both distance and wit.

Examples include:

Giving tears to women or the sea—both vast and known for depth.

Bequeathing eyes to Argus—a mythological reference suggesting vigilance or pain.

Leaving his English tongue to foreigners—perhaps implying miscommunication or alienation.

These conceits emphasize the absurdity and pain of romantic rejection in an intellectual and stylized way.

 

4. Satirical and Social Commentary

While the poem’s surface appears centered on love, Donne also uses it to deliver biting social commentary. Many recipients of his "gifts" are chosen ironically:

Truth to courtiers (known for deception),

Faith to Catholics (in Protestant England, a provocative choice),

Civility to a university (which might lack it),

Patience to gamblers, and

Silence to travelers (who presumably tell endless tales).

These lines show Donne’s critique of various professions, institutions, and social norms, using the backdrop of personal loss as a stage for larger mockery.

 

5. Structure and Progression

The poem is structured in six stanzas, each with nine lines and a loose rhyming pattern, often ABABBCCDD. This regularity provides formality, imitating a legal document. The poem follows a clear emotional progression:

Stanzas 1–3: The speaker distributes parts of himself—eyes, tears, faith, patience—to people or groups in ironic ways.

Stanzas 4–5: He grows more introspective, giving away his wit, writings, and language, showing deeper emotional fatigue and alienation.

Stanza 6: He declares he will give no more, and will instead die—thus ending both his life and his relationship with Love itself.

The final stanza becomes philosophical and fatalistic, suggesting that once love is gone, beauty and charm become useless. Death is portrayed as liberation, not defeat.

 

6. Philosophical and Theological Undertones

The poem contains subtle philosophical reflections:

Death is not just physical but symbolic—a spiritual resignation from love.

The concept of value is questioned: What use is beauty or grace if love is dead?

The final lines evoke Donne's complex views on the soul, love, and mortality—death is seen as a release from the tyranny of unreturned affection.

There are theological nuances, especially in how he mentions Roman Catholics, Schismatics (Protestants), Jesuits, and Capuchins. Donne, having converted from Catholicism to Anglicanism, often embedded religious tension in his works. These references may indicate how religious factions, like lovers, claim truth yet often misuse it.

 

7. Emotional Tension and Irony

The poem constantly balances grief and irony. The speaker is clearly wounded but avoids direct sorrow, instead couching his pain in sharp humor and theatrical gestures. His exaggerated generosity becomes a mask for heartbreak.

Lines like:

"Thou, Love, by making me adore / Her who begot this love in me before..."

...show lingering admiration, even as he tries to let go. The final act of giving up life is not just poetic drama, but a real expression of emotional emptiness.

 

Conclusion

The Will is one of Donne's most clever and emotionally rich poems. On the surface, it’s a satirical "will" filled with witty bequests. But underneath, it reveals a man trying to make sense of emotional rejection, societal hypocrisy, and personal despair—all in the intellectual and paradoxical style that defines metaphysical poetry.

 

Possible Exam Questions     

Who is Argus, and why does the speaker leave his eyes to him?

 

What does the speaker give to Fame, and why?

 

Why does Donne's speaker compare women to the sea?

 

What is ironic about giving ‘truth’ to people at court?

 

What role does the theme of unrequited love play in the poem?

 

Why does the speaker stop giving away gifts in the final stanza?

 

Identify two metaphysical conceits used in the poem.

 

What does the speaker mean by ‘Only to give to those that count my gifts indignity’?

 

Why does the speaker claim that Love will die when he dies?

 

Explain the significance of the final image: "a sun-dial in a grave."

 

Discuss the use of irony in The Will. How does Donne use ironic bequests to comment on love and society?

 

Explain how John Donne blends wit and sorrow in the poem. Give examples.

 

How does the poem reflect metaphysical poetic style? Refer to its conceits and paradoxes.

 

Describe the emotional journey of the speaker from the beginning to the end of the poem.

 

Analyze Donne’s use of satire in The Will. Who or what is he mocking?

 

Critically analyze The Will as a metaphysical poem. Focus on Donne’s use of language, conceits, and paradoxes.

 

“Love taught me to give to those who cannot receive.” Examine how this recurring line reflects the speaker’s emotional and philosophical conflict.

 

Explore how Donne uses the structure of a legal will to express emotional devastation in The Will.

 

Discuss the interplay of humor and heartbreak in The Will. How does Donne balance wit with genuine emotional pain?

 

What does The Will reveal about John Donne’s views on love, human relationships, and disillusionment? Support your answer with references from the text.