To his Mistress Going to Bed by John Donne

Name: To his Mistress Going to Bed
Author: John Donne

“To his Mistress Going to Bed” presents a speaker impatiently urging a woman to prepare for bed and remove each part of her clothing. He describes her girdle, breastplate, busk, gown, coronet, hose, and shoes as beautiful but obstructive coverings, treating their removal as a ritual entrance into a “love’s hallow’d temple.” He compares her partly unclothed appearance to angels in white and calls her presence a heavenly paradise. The speaker then asks permission for his hands to explore her body, portraying her as his “America,” “Newfoundland,” kingdom, mine, and empery, and calling his discovery of her a blessing. He argues that entering her “bonds” brings freedom and that his soul will follow wherever his hand is placed. Finally, he declares that complete nakedness is necessary for “whole joys,” comparing clothing and jewels to distracting outer coverings. Women’s adornments, he says, can attract foolish men to ornaments rather than to the women themselves; women themselves are “mystic books” that should be revealed. He urges her to cast off even her white linen, insists innocence requires no penance or concealment, and offers his own nakedness as an example, asking why she needs any more covering than a man.

By John Donne · First published 1633 · Genre: Erotic Poetry, Love Poetry, Metaphysical Poetry · 609 words

First lines

Come, madam, come, all rest my powers defy; / Until I labour, I in labour lie. / The foe ofttimes, having the foe in sight, / Is tired with standing, though he never fight. / Off with that girdle, like heaven's zone glittering, / But a far fairer world encompassing. / Unpin that spangled breastplate, which you wear, / That th' eyes of busy fools may be stopp'd there. / Unlace yourself, for that harmonious chime / Tells me from you that now it is bedtime. / Off with that happy busk, which I envy, / That still can be, and still can stand so nigh. / Your gown going off such beauteous state reveals, / As when from flowery meads th' hill's shadow steals. / Off with your wiry coronet, and show / The hairy diadems which on you do grow / Off with your hose and shoes; then softly tread / In this love's hallow'd temple, this soft bed. / In such white robes heaven's angels used to be / Revealed to men; thou, angel, bring'st with thee / A heaven-like Muhammad's paradise; and though / Ill spirits walk in white, we easily know / By this these angels from an evil sprite; / Those set our hairs, but these our flesh upright.

Open reader

What this Textopian page supports

To his Mistress Going to Bed 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: Erotic Poetry, Love Poetry, Metaphysical Poetry, Seduction Poetry, Lyric Poetry
Length: 609 words
Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for To his Mistress Going to Bed by John Donne
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Similar titles

Genres

Erotic Poetry — The poem's primary content is explicit sexual seduction and desire, with detailed descriptions of undressing and physical intimacy as the central narrative.
Love Poetry — Romantic and sexual love for the mistress is the animating force, expressed through passionate address and celebration of the beloved.
Metaphysical Poetry — Donne employs characteristic metaphysical conceits—America as the woman's body, paradise as physical union—combining intellectual argument with sensual experience in philosophical language.
Seduction Poetry — The entire poem functions as a sustained seduction, with the speaker using rhetorical persuasion and elaborate comparisons to convince the mistress to surrender her clothing and modesty.