Variety by John Donne (1633)

Name: Variety
Author: John Donne

The speaker defends his love of variety, arguing that just as the heavens move and the sun does not stay fixed at one sign but completes its year and begins anew, and as all things delight in change, so he should not renounce loving many. He observes that a river flowing wide and clear stays pleasing, while a dead lake greeted by no strange bark corrupts itself and what lives within it. He refuses to let anyone claim a single woman is fair enough to deserve his love alone; he grants that nature has made her lovable and calls any man inhuman who would turn from her, professing he loves her well and would die to serve her — but denies that this obliges him to serve her only when he may choose otherwise, rejecting so hard a law. He describes the last woman he saw as fair in every extreme, holding him in the sunbeams of her hair, her nymph-like features so agreeable that he could venture with her to the grave. Another, brown-complexioned, he likes no less, drawn by her soft tongue and discourse. Others he loves for their good descent, granting them as large a share in his love for their degree alone, and even when he fails of his desired ends with them, he counts the attempt itself glorious and self-commending. He turns to praise the happiness of ancient forefathers, who held plurality of loves no crime and counted it charity to stir up offspring indiscriminately; kinship was no bar to such unions, a custom he notes still stands among the Persians. Women then were won as soon as asked, and what was done was honest and well done. But since a "little Honour" came into use, credulity has been abused, nature's golden laws repealed, and the liberty and charters of the first fathers reversed, making men servants to Opinion — a shapeless monster of uncertain origin that grows into its own fashions and prescribes manners and laws to nations. He laments that under this regime Love received incurable harms and was stripped of his daring arms and eyes, losing his awful wings and his sinewy bow with its immortal darts once used to bruise resisting hearts. Only a few, strong and free, retain the seeds of ancient liberty, following that depressed part of love and enthroning him within their breasts, avowing him sovereign despite modern censure. Among this troop the speaker counts himself least yet equal in perfection to the best, glorying in subjection to love's hand and never declining his least command, his heart opening to receive the message in whatever form it comes. He acknowledges that time will eventually bring a point at which he must deny this loved service, since such allegiance is only temporary, and that with firmer age liberty returns. When he is settled in years and judgment, he will not be so easily disposed to change nor obedient to the art of various eyes, but will weigh beauty securely against true worth; and once he finds both qualities assembled in one woman, he will leave her forever and love her alone.

By John Donne · First published 1633 · Genre: Metaphysical Poetry, Love Poetry, Lyric Poetry · 973 words

First lines

The heavens rejoice in motion; why should I / Abjure my so much loved variety, / And not with many youth and love divide? / Pleasure is none, if not diversified. / The sun that, sitting in the chair of light, / Sheds flame into what else so ever doth seem bright, / Is not contented at one sign to inn, / But ends his year, and with a new begin. / All things do willingly in change delight, / The fruitful mother of our appetite; / Rivers the clearer and more pleasing are, / Where their fair-spreading streams run wide and clear; / And a dead lake, that no strange bark doth greet, / Corrupts itself, and what doth live in it. / Let no man tell me such a one is fair, / And worthy all alone my love to share. / Nature in her hath done the liberal part / Of a kind mistress, and employed her art, / To make her lovable, and I aver / Him not humane, that would turn back from her. / I love her well, and would, if need were, die, / To do her service. But follows it that I / Must serve her only, when I may have choice? / The law is hard, and shall not have my voice. / The last I saw in all extremes is fair, / And holds me in the sunbeams of her hair; / Her nymph-like features such agreements have, / That I could venture with her to the grave. / Another's brown; I like her not the worse; / Her tongue is soft and takes me with discourse. / Others, for that they well descended were, / Do in my love obtain as large a share; / And though they be not fair, 'tis much with me / To win their love only for their degree. / And though I fail of my required ends, / The attempt is glorious and itself commends. / How happy were our sires in ancient time, / Who held plurality of loves no crime. / With them it was accounted charity / To stir up race of all indifferently; / Kindred were not exempted from the bands, / Which with the Persian still in usage stands. / Women were then no sooner ask'd than won, / And what they did was honest and well done. / But since this little Honour hath been used, / Our weak credulity hath been abused; / The golden laws of nature are repeal'd, / Which our first fathers in such reverence held; / Our liberty reversed and charters gone; / And we made servants to Opinion; / A monster in no certain shape attired, / And whose original is much desired, / Formless at first, but growing on its fashions, / And doth prescribe manners and laws to nations. / Here love received immedicable harms, / And was despoiled of his daring arms; / A greater want than is his daring eyes, / He lost those awful wings with which he flies, / His sinewy bow and those immortal darts, / With which he is wont to bruise resisting hearts. / Only some few, strong in themselves and free, / Retain the seeds of ancient liberty, / Following that part of love although depress'd, / Yet make a throne for him within their breast, / In spite of modern censures him avowing / Their sovereign, all service him allowing / Amongst which troop although I am the least, / Yet equal in perfection with the best, / I glory in subjection of his hand, / Nor ever did decline his least command; / For in whatever form the message came / My heart did open and receive the same, / But time will in his course a point descry / When I this lovèd service must deny; / For our allegiance temporary is; / With firmer age returns our liberties. / What time in years and judgment we reposed, / Shall not so easily be to change disposed, / Nor to the art of several eyes obeying, / But beauty with true worth securely weighing; / Which being found assembled in someone / We'll leave her ever, and love her alone.

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Variety 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, Love Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Philosophical Poetry, Erotic Poetry
Length: 973 words
Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

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Genres

Metaphysical Poetry — Donne's signature mode employing elaborate conceits—the sun's eternal circulation, rivers, and natural philosophy—to argue for philosophical and romantic positions. Characteristic of metaphysical verse in using intellectual wit and extended metaphors to explore complex ideas.
Love Poetry — The poem's central concern is the nature of love, romantic attachment, and the speaker's approach to multiple romantic relationships. Explores desire, attraction, and devotion across its 108 lines.
Lyric Poetry — Expresses the personal perspective, emotion, and desire of the speaker through highly crafted verse with intricate rhythm and imagery, maintaining the reflective intensity characteristic of lyric forms.
Philosophical Poetry — Engages fundamental questions about human nature, freedom, social convention, and morality. Uses natural observations to ground abstract arguments about liberty and the constraints society places on human behavior.