To Mr. Rowland Woodward: Muse not that by Thy Mi

Name: To Mr. Rowland Woodward: Muse not that by Thy Mind Thy Body is Led
Author: John Donne

The poem addresses Rowland Woodward on the bond between mind and body. The speaker tells Woodward not to marvel that his body is governed by his mind, for that same mind of Woodward's has, in turn, unsettled the speaker's own mind. Woodward's care or concern lives on at length, since the speaker shares in bearing it, and this shared burden consumes not only Woodward's heart but also the speaker's own swollen heart. When the trouble grants any pause or intermission, the two of them take up new hearts for it to feed upon again, as though the sorrow renews itself rather than ending. The speaker then draws a comparison: just as an ordinary man's genius or spirit governs both his body and his mind, so the Muse acts as the soul's soul for poets. This poetic soul, the speaker suggests, ought to ease their mutual anguish, even while their bodies wither and their minds languish under the weight of this shared grief. The poem closes with a direct request to Woodward, urging him to write, so that the griefs which originated in him and were passed to the speaker might be cured by Woodward's own charming, sovereign melody.

By John Donne · First published 1633 · Genre: Metaphysical Poetry, Verse Epistle, Lyric Poetry · 147 words

First lines

Muse not that by thy mind thy body is led: / For by thy mind, my mind's distempered. / So thy care lives long, for I bearing part / It eats not only thine, but my swoll'n heart. / And when it gives us intermission / We take new hearts for it to feed upon. / But as a lay man's genius doth control / Body and mind; the Muse being the soul's soul / Of poets, that methinks should ease our anguish, / Although our bodies wither and minds languish. / Wright then, that my griefs which thine got may be / Cured by thy charming sovereign melody.

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To Mr. Rowland Woodward: Muse not that by Thy Mind Thy Body is Led 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, Verse Epistle, Lyric Poetry, Philosophical Poetry, Devotional Poetry
Length: 147 words
Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs

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Genres

Metaphysical Poetry — Exemplifies Donne's signature style with elaborate conceits comparing emotional and physical suffering, exploring paradoxical relationships between mind, body, and soul as intellectual puzzles resolved through wit and surprising comparisons.
Verse Epistle — Directly addressed to Rowland Woodward in the dedicatory tradition, functioning as a versified letter that expresses personal concern, shares suffering, and offers poetic consolation through the Muse's healing power.
Lyric Poetry — Presents intimate emotional expression of the speaker's suffering caused by empathic identification with the addressee's distress, characteristic of lyric subjectivity and personal introspection.
Philosophical Poetry — Engages with abstract metaphysical questions about the nature of mind, body, care, and artistic transcendence, using logical argumentation and complex reasoning to explore how consciousness affects physical being.