The Canonization Analysis

The iamb is a two-syllable creature, made from gluing a stressed syllable to the back of an unstressed syllable. It makes a daDUM rhythm ("allow" is a great example) and, what's more, it's pretty i...

We have to admit that we're kind of on the fence when it comes to the speaker of "The Canonization." In the beginning of the poem, we're sympathetic to him. After all, when someone says "For God's...

Like a turducken (a turkey stuffed with a chicken, which happens to be stuffed with a duck), "The Canonization" offers up settings within settings for a tasty—well, at least interesting—effect....

In a poem describing the saintly awesomeness of love, you better believe you're going to get some sound effects. Donne uses a whole grab-bag of techniques in this poem in order to emphasize the har...

Don't worry. Despite what it sounds like, "The Canonization" is not a violent poem. We promise that no canons are fired during the course of this poem. In fact, Donne has a very different idea of "...

There are three elements that identify a John Donne poem: God, love, and, well, being clever. Most of his poetry has at least two of these aspects, though many, like "The Canonization," have all th...

This is a poem that will give you a workout. In particular, John Donne's famous conceits will have you trying to puzzle out how two lovers, who are hypothetical saints, can have eyes that are like...

John Donne attended both Oxford and Cambridge, but never graduated. That's because, as a Roman Catholic, he refused to sign something called the "Oath of Supremacy," which reinforced the Church of...

Today, this poem would skate by with a G, but back in Donne's time, folks were more in tune with the sexual innuendo going on here. In line 21, the speaker uses a metaphor to compare himself and hi...

The phoenix (23)