To His Mistress Going to Bed (Elegy 19) Glossary

To His Mistress Going to Bed (Elegy 19) Glossary

defy

disregard or disobey

labour

refers to the pain of waiting for the beloved to undress herself

foe

Donne's love is the 'foe' here as the beloved is still not ready to give herself completely to the poet

girdle

her lower garments

coronet

a small and simple crown, especially as worn by lesser royalty

discovering thee

exploring the beauty of beloved's body

A heaven like Mahomet's paradise

An example of metaphysical conceit. In Muslim dogma, it is believed that virgins live in heaven and he is comparing his beloved to those virgins.

licence my roving hands

give me permission to touch you allover

Atlanta's ball

Atlanta is taken from Greek mythology. It is said that she did not want to marry but agreed on marrying the man who could defeat her in a footrace, when her father was upset with her decision. In the race, a man called Hippomenes threw golden apples in order to distract Atalanta. He actually won the race and married her.

thy midwife show

Just like a woman does not hesitate in showing her body to a midwife, the beloved should also present herself to Donne wholeheartedly.

no penance due to innocence

The idea of virginity and sexuality is not related to innocence and therefore there is no scope of penance at all.

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