John Donne

The Apparition

Related Poem Content Details

BY JOHN DONNE

When by thy scorn, O murd'ress, I am dead  (A)

         And that thou think'st thee free (B)

From all solicitation from me, (B)

Then shall my ghost come to thy bed,(A) 

And thee, feign'd vestal, in worse arms shall see; (B) 

Then thy sick taper will begin to wink, (C)

And he, whose thou art then, being tir'd before, (D)

Will, if thou stir, or pinch to wake him, think (C)

         Thou call'st for more, (D)

And in false sleep will from thee shrink; (C)

And then, poor aspen wretch, neglected thou (E) 

Bath'd in a cold quicksilver sweat wilt lie (F)

         A verier ghost than I. (F)

What I will say, I will not tell thee now, (E)

Lest that preserve thee; and since my love is spent, (G)

I'had rather thou shouldst painfully repent, (G)

Than by my threat'nings rest still innocent. (G)

What does this poem mean? 

To me, this poem is about a man who was wronged by his ex lover. I do not get a clear sense of what she did to him exactly (I'm guessing she cheated, that's the first thing that came to mind) but he is definitely hurt about it. So much so that he haunts her when he's dead. She sees his ghost one night at the flicker of a candle while she's with her new lover and she tries to wake her lover but he ignores her. She is now faced with the ghost and is terrified. I like when he says "And then, poor aspen wretch, neglected thou

Bath'd in a cold quicksilver sweat wilt lie

 A verier ghost than I" because he shows how afraid she is as she faces her wrongs in this physical form. She is so petrified that she begins to look like the ghost. For a moment I even thought that maybe the ghost was her mind manifesting her guilt into the form of a ghost to show her repent. My favorite part of the poem is perhaps the triplet it ends in because the speaker is basically saying, "I'm not going to tell you why I'm here because I want you to suffer in your own", which I think is so powerful.

I think in this poem Donne is warning humanity that our wrongs will follow us and literally haunt us. I think he is saying that we cannot escape the pain we cause and we will pay for it sooner or later.

What?

Okay so a couple of things in this poem really made me think "what?!" but I think I've gotten the idea of what this poem is about. I've an understanding of his message and the story he conveys but these lines still baffle me:

"And he, whose thou art then, being tir'd before

Will, if thou stir, or pinch to wake him, think

 Thou call'st for more"

So, her lover will think she's asking for more...more what? Sex? Attention? And if she tries to wake him, he will pretend to be asleep? (as suggested in the lines that follow). I think this means that her lover will grow tired of her and by ignoring her he basically makes her face the apparition. 

How did I feel?

The tone of the poem is very spiteful, revengeful and a bit cynical. It's almost taunting and I deeply enjoy that sense of mocking torment. It makes me feel vulnerable in a way because I see how much power this nonliving  form has over this woman. Also, I can see how powerful the human mind is in taking control of our very being.

Did I like it?

I can honestly say that I enjoyed deciphering the messages in this poem. I did not understand it at first and did not enjoy the darkness of the poem. After reading it a few times I appreciate the challenge and the abstract view of the world. Seeing this poem through the eyes of a ghost was quite interesting because he has deep and profound feelings which is quite intriguing to me.

The Prince

Qualities of a Prince:

-He should be feared rather than loved
-He should have the support of his people
-He should hold good virtues or at least appear to
-He should never turn to outside auxiliary or mercenary units, but always rely on his own arms
-He should be intelligent

Personally, I agree that a successful leader should have the support of his people and be intelligent. I believe it is important for a leader to have the support of his people because it is only then that he will be able to assert his power. I think loyalty is important because his people's devotion will allow him to grow as a leader and expand his power. Also, intelligence is important because a leader should be cunning and knowledgeable. The greatest power is the power of knowledge and his people will create a better sense of trust towards him through his intelligence. I do not agree that a successful prince should be feared rather than loved. I personally believe that love for a leader goes a long way. I feel that a leader should be loved rather than feared because he runs less chances of being replaced. If people are content with their leadership, there should not be a reason to want to change in leadership.

A leader that embodies Machiavelli's traits is Donald Trump. He uses fear to assert his power. He also appears to hold good virtues t appeal to the American people.

Personally, I think a successful leader should:

-Lead for a cause
-Speak for the people
-Show honesty and compassion
-Be strong willed/know when to make difficult decisions
-Be intelligent

These are a bit different from Machiavelli's qualities because I focus more on positive elements of a leader. I believe leadership means being able to connect with people thus guiding them through a path. I think it is essential for the leader to connect with his people and have a positive relationship with them through communication and loyalty. Machiavelli's principles are a bit darker and strict in a way.

One leader I believe exemplifies my traits for a successful leader is Michelle Obama. I think Michelle is someone who is true to herself and to her people.Michelle is honest, educated and works for her people. I think these traits have truly made her popular among the masses, has asserted respect and contributed to a legacy she will leave behind.