A LECTURE UPON THE SHADOW (Kaleidoscope)

ABOUT THE POET
John Donne, (1572-1631) leading English poet of the metaphysical school and dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London (1621–31). Donne is often considered the greatest love poet in English language.
This poem is part of Songs and sonnets a collection of poems published two years after John Donne’s death. Songs and Sonnets includes 55 poems, which are not strictly “songs” or “sonnets”, that were not conceived as a compilation including ‘A Lecture upon the Shadow.’ They were written between 1590 and 1617 and later edited and grouped in different editions of Donne’s Poems. Consequently, the poems are all part of a love poem but don’t always portray a single approach to love.
The poem narrates how a relationship that appeared to be blossoming has later deteriorated. Thus, love is one of the main themes of A Lecture upon the Shadow. John Donne is known for portraying intense emotions through metaphors.
                                                                              Stanza One

Stand still, and I will read to thee

A lecture, love, in love’s philosophy.

These three hours that we have spent,

Walking here, two shadows went

Along with us, which we ourselves produc’d.

But, now the sun is just above our head,

We do those shadows tread,

And to brave clearness all things are reduc’d.

So whilst our infant loves did grow,

Disguises did, and shadows, flow

From us, and our cares; but now ’tis not so.

That love has not attain’d the high’st degree,

Which is still diligent lest others see.

Stanza Two

Except our loves at this noon stay,

We shall new shadows make the other way.

As the first were made to blind

Others, these which come behind

Will work upon ourselves, and blind our eyes.

If our loves faint, and westwardly decline,

To me thou, falsely, thine,

And I to thee mine actions shall disguise.

The morning shadows wear away,

But these grow longer all the day;

But oh, love’s day is short, if love decay.

Love is a growing, or full constant light,

And his first minute, after noon, is night.

1. In the opening line the word ‘thee’ refers to?
Thee refers to the poet’s beloved lover.
2. How do the shadows before noon differ from the shadows afternoon? What do the two kinds of shadow represent?
The shadows keep growing shorter before noon. Through the image of the shadows, the poet wants to convey the idea that differences in love’s initial stage is very minimum as compared to the shadow at noon. After this stage, the differences in love begin to grow . In the afternoon, the shadow grows longer, the poet compares it to the later stage in love where lovers move apart because of differences in love.
3. What is the message conveyed in these two lines in stanza one
That love has not attain’d the high’st degree,
Which is still diligent lest others see.

The poet wishes to convey to his beloved that she should love him sincerely. Their love should be true and long lasting. It should not wither away with the passage of time. They should have no differences between them. He wants to tell her that once they reach the height of love, they must retain it. They must not let it vanish. According to Donne, the love between the lovers keeps growing constantly so that others may not mock at the lovers. 

4. In the first 5 lines in stanza two the poet applies a condition to their love . Explain.
Except our loves at this noon stay,
We shall new shadows make the other way.
As the first were made to blind
Others, these which come behind
Will work upon ourselves, and blind our eyes.

The poet then presents a condition and proclaims that if their love will continue to prosper, then they will together create new shadows of our love and they will impart new definitions and meanings to their love. Further, the poet says that the noon shadows that will be created by them will blind them, that is, only they will be able to truly understand the depth and meaning of our love. The poet here is trying to convey that noon shadows are not only symbolic of the loss of physical charm but also the persistence of the care and feelings that the lovers have towards each other even after losing their physical attractiveness. In this way, their love will continue to enhance and prosper. 

5. What is the second condition the poet talks about in the next 5 lines of the stanza two.
If our loves faint, and westwardly decline,
To me thou, falsely, thine,
And I to thee mine actions shall disguise.
The morning shadows wear away,
But these grow longer all the day;
But oh, love’s day is short, if love decay.

The poet continues to present a second condition. According to this condition, if the love between him and his beloved declines just like the decline (or setting) of sun in the west (which is an established fact as the sun always sets in the west) , then, in that case , he and his beloved will not remain true to each other. Hence, both the lovers will become detached with each other. 

6. Love is described as light. What makes the poet talk about shadows?
Love is a growing, or full constant light,
And his first minute, after noon, is night.

Donne highlights love as a “growing and full constant light”, that is love keeps enhancing and growing in intensity. Donne says that if there is any decline in the light of this love, then there is end of the day of love and the lovers are compelled to go through the death of their love. Shadows represent the ups and downs in a relationship. It represents how bonding deepens with time and how gradually it blooms into a beautiful relationship. The length of shadow depicts maturity in the love.