Their love is like a virtuous man to death. Their love is like the planets in their orbits, not like earthquakes. Their love is like a flattened sheet of gold. Their love is like a compass used in math class. These feelings, such as they are, would not help comfort a lover on the eve of a long separation. They seem random, disjointed and emotionless. In the context of John Donne's metaphysical poem "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning", these images constitute an element in the speaker's affirmation of his love, attesting to its sacredness, its steadfastness, its true worth and his guidance. Despite their sterile appearances, these images convey a touching and profound vision of love in the context of this poem. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get an original essay A prolonged separation from a loved one can be emotionally wrenching, but Donne argues that overt displays of sadness constitute a grave injustice to the sacred love between the speaker and his partner. Rather than weeping and lamenting their impending death, "virtuous men slowly pass away" with only a mere "whisper to their souls" that the time has come to leave "their sad friends" and venture forth from the earth towards the sky (2,3). . The passive, peaceful images of a quiet, whispered death reflect the speaker's desire that the lovers "melt and make no noise" as he departs (5). He argues that their farewells must be free from “profanation of [their] joys” by overly dramatic “floods of tears” and “storms of sighs” (7.6). Their love refuses to be challenged by mere physical separation, so the laments insult the depth of their love. Although time and space divide the lovers, their bond transcends immediate and visible obstacles. The “movement of the earth brings harm and fear” to some people, yet these same people consider the “much greater” “apprehension of the spheres” to be innocent (9,12,11). Likewise, couples strongly anchored in the "boring" and sensual "sublunary" form of love "cannot admit the absence" of each other because the foundation of their relationship is then lost (13,14- 15). The love between the speaker and his partner, however, possesses a “refined” love “inter-assured of the spirit” (17, 19). Their love is undisturbed by "earthquakes" in the physical world, because their unshakable bond resides in the spiritual and lunar realm. Although the speaker's departure may appear as a separation or divide between the two souls, the speaker argues that they remain as one, simply extended over a greater distance. Their love refuses to be broken or to “bear… a breakup” during their separation (22-23). “As gold beats airy thinness,” their love will become “so fine that it will be spiritual,” and will thus be able to bridge the physical gap that separates them (24). The single soul shared between lovers expands rather than breaks, like gold when pressure flattens and elongates it from its previous state (23). This comparison with gold and the flexibility of their love speaks to the true value and fidelity of their relationship. Although the couple experiences a temporary separation, the speaker believes that their guiding love will bring them together again. The image of the compass illustrates that if the couple is composed of two distinct souls, these souls remain inextricably linked, like the two arms of the compass united at one point. The rotating movements of the foot as it “travels the distance”..