Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- What has happened to Donne's lover? Has she died, broken up with him, or is the poem just an exercise in exaggerated flirtation?
- Do you think there is any chance that this poem could be addressed to someone other than his lover? Why do most people think the subject of the poem is a female beloved, even though it contains no gender pronouns or direct expressions of love?
- We think the poem asks a profound question: Can ghosts die? What do you think?
- What is a "metaphysical conceit," and what exactly is the metaphysical conceit of this poem?
- For all your creative writers out there: write a scene that depicts the last meeting of speaker and the person to whom this poem is addressed. What are their personalities like? Do we have an indication from this poem?