The Message by John Donne (1633)
The speaker demands that his eyes and heart be sent home from where they have long strayed, dwelling on the one addressed. He claims they have learned ill habits there—forced fashions and false passions—that unfit them for any good sight, so if they have grown corrupted by this influence, the beloved should keep them. He similarly asks for his harmless heart back, a heart no unworthy thought could stain, but adds that if it has been taught by the beloved's heart to mock protestations and break both word and oath, then it too should be kept, for it would no longer be his own. Finally, he reverses course and asks that both heart and eyes be sent back to him after all, so that he may recognize and see through the beloved's lies, and so that he may laugh and feel joy when the beloved suffers anguish and languishes for someone who will have none of them, or who proves as false as the beloved is now.
By John Donne · First published 1633 · Genre: Metaphysical Poetry, Love Poetry, Lyric Poetry · 211 words
First lines
Send home my long stray'd eyes to me, / Which, O! too long have dwelt on thee; / Yet since there they have learn'd such ill, / Such forced fashions, / And false passions, / That they be / Made by thee / Fit for no good sight, keep them still.
Send home my harmless heart again, / Which no unworthy thought could stain; / But if it be taught by thine / To make jestings / Of protestings, / And break both / Word and oath, / Keep it, for then 'tis none of mine.
Yet send me back my heart and eyes, / That I may know, and see thy lies, / And may laugh and joy, when thou / Art in anguish / And dost languish / For someone / That will none, / Or prove as false as thou art now.
What this Textopian page supports
The Message is listed on Textopian as a poem by John Donne, dated 1633 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: John Donne
- Date: 1633 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Metaphysical Poetry, Love Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Complaint Poetry, Dramatic Monologue
- Length: 211 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Message by John Donne
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Similar titles
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- The Expostulation by John Donne
- The Expiration by John Donne
- Loves Diet by John Donne
- Natures Lay Idiot I Taught Thee To Love by John Donne
- A Lecture Upon The Shadow by John Donne
Genres
- Metaphysical Poetry — The poem exemplifies metaphysical poetry through intellectual conceits treating love as a possession of eyes and heart, paradoxical arguments, and characteristic wit. Donne employs abstract concepts with physical imagery and complex emotional logic central to the metaphysical school.
- Love Poetry — The poem centers entirely on romantic love, desire, betrayal, and the speaker's emotional response to a beloved who has captivated and deceived him, exploring themes of passion and disillusionment.
- Lyric Poetry — The poem expresses subjective emotion and personal feeling directly without narrative progression. The intimate address and focus on the speaker's internal emotional state exemplify the lyric tradition.
- Complaint Poetry — The poem follows the formal tradition of the lover's complaint, where the speaker laments his beloved's infidelity and betrayal through direct address, enumerating emotional damage and seeking recompense.
Tags
metaphysical-poetry · love · separation · longing · communication · messages · 17th-century · metaphor · imagery · passion · distance · yearning