The Anagram by John Donne (1633)

Name: The Anagram
Author: John Donne

The poem argues that a man should marry and love Flavia despite her lack of conventional beauty, since she possesses, in some form, every element that makes others beautiful: though her eyes be small, her mouth is great; though her teeth be ivory in hue, they are jet-colored; though dim, she is light enough; and though her harsh hair falls out, her skin is tough. Her cheeks are yellow and her hair red, but the speaker tells his addressee to give her his own hair, and she will have a maidenhead. These traits, he claims, are beauty's elements, and when they meet in one person, that person must please as perfect, just as one need not ask where musk and amber lie within a perfume, only that they are present. Though all Flavia's parts are not in the usual place, she has an anagram of a good face: the same letters of beauty, merely arranged differently. He compares this to musicians who use the same gamut of notes, arranged differently, to make an equally perfect song. Things simply good cannot be unfit; she is as fair as any if all are like her, and if none are, she is singular. Since all love is wonder, and she is justly accounted wonderful, she must be accounted lovely too. Love built on beauty dies as soon as beauty does, so he urges choosing this face instead, since it cannot be changed by further deformities. Women are compared to angels: the fair ones are like angels who fell to a worse state, but a woman such as Flavia, like the good angels who remained, cannot be impaired; it is less grief to be foul than to have been fair and lost it. Just as silk and gold suit one night's revels but cloth and leather serve long journeys, beauty is often barren, and the best husbands say the best land lies where the way is foulest. She would make a sovereign plaster for a man whose past sins have taught him jealousy, for with her he needs no spies or eunuchs; he may safely commit her to his foes, even to a marmoset. Like the round countryside that Belgia's cities flood for defense, her dirty foulness guards and arms her the way that drowned land guards a town, protecting her for a husband often forced by business to be absent. Her face, like clouds, turns day to night, and, mightier than the sea, makes Moors seem white by comparison. Though she had lain seven years in the stews, a nunnery would receive her and think her a maid; and though she lay in childbed's labour, midwives would swear it were but a tympany. If she herself confessed her own faults, the speaker would credit it less than he credits witches who confess impossible things. Being one like none, and liked by none, she is the fittest choice, for whatever is in fashion, every man will wear.

By John Donne · First published 1633 · Genre: Metaphysical Poetry, Satire, Love Poetry · 721 words

First lines

Marry, and love thy Flavia, for she / Hath all things, whereby others beauteous be; / For, though her eyes be small, her mouth is great; / Though they be ivory, yet her teeth be jet; / Though they be dim, yet she is light enough; / And though her harsh hair fall, her skin is tough; / What though her cheeks be yellow, her hair's red, / Give her thine, and she hath a maidenhead. / These things are beauty's elements; where these / Meet in one, that one must, as perfect, please. / If red and white, and each good quality / Be in thy wench, ne'er ask where it doth lie. / In buying things perfumed, we ask, if there / Be musk and amber in it, but not where. / Though all her parts be not in th' usual place, / She hath yet an anagram of a good face. / If we might put the letters but one way, / In that lean dearth of words, what could we say? / When by the gamut some musicians make / A perfect song, others will undertake, / By the same gamut changed, to equal it. / Things simply good can never be unfit; / She's fair as any, if all be like her; / And if none be, then she is singular. / All love is wonder; if we justly do / Account her wonderful, why not lovely too? / Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies; / Choose this face, changed by no deformities. / Women are all like angels; the fair be / Like those which fell to worse; but such as she, / Like to good angels, nothing can impair: / 'Tis less grief to be foul, than to have been fair. / For one night's revels, silk and gold we choose, / But, in long journeys, cloth, and leather use. / Beauty is barren oft; best husbands say / There is best land, where there is foulest way. / Oh, what a sovereign plaster will she be, / If thy past sins have taught thee jealousy! / Here needs no spies, nor eunuchs; her commit / Safe to thy foes, yea, to a marmoset. / Like Belgia's cities the round country drowns, / That dirty foulness guards and arms the towns, / So doth her face guard her; and so, for thee, / Which forced by business, absent oft must be, / She, whose face, like clouds, turns the day to night; / Who, mightier than the sea, makes Moors seem white; / Who, though seven years she in the stews had laid, / A nunnery durst receive, and think a maid; / And though in childbed's labour she did lie, / Midwives would swear, 'twere but a tympany; / Whom, if she accuse herself, I credit less / Than witches, which impossibles confess; / One like none, and liked of none, fittest were; / For things in fashion every man will wear.

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The Anagram is listed on Textopian as a poem by John Donne, dated 1633 CE.

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Work type: Poem
Author: John Donne
Date: 1633 CE
Language: English
Genres: Metaphysical Poetry, Satire, Love Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Anti-Blazon
Length: 721 words
Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Genres

Metaphysical Poetry — Employs elaborate conceits, intellectual wit, and wordplay characteristic of Donne's metaphysical style, particularly the central conceit of a face as an anagram whose letters are rearranged rather than inherently beautiful.
Satire — Uses ironic praise and exaggeration to mock conventional beauty standards and romantic idealism, appearing to recommend Flavia while describing her as plain through deliberately undermined logic.
Love Poetry — Addresses romantic choice and partnership, arguing for the selection of a woman based on philosophical and practical virtue rather than superficial physical attraction.
Lyric Poetry — A subjective poem expressing intellectual and emotional ideas through direct address and personal argument, lacking narrative and focusing on wit and persuasion.