Valediction vs. Conjoined

Aman Brah Rough Draft
Period 4

The poems “Conjoined” by Judith Minty and “A Valediction” by John Donne both discuss the nature of relationships. Both authors have opposing views and use figurative language to prove this. Judith Minty uses symbolism and similes to show how awkward and unnatural marriage is, and John Donne also uses similes and metaphors to show that love is a pure unbreakable bond and unfathomable to the “laity.”

Both authors use similes to show their respective views about relationships. In “A Valediction” John Donne speaks about two lovers and says “Our two souls therefore, which are one, though I must go, endure not yet a breach, but an expansion like gold to airy thinness beat.” When gold is stretched out, it does not break but just becomes thinner and thinner. Donne is saying that the love between those two is similar to gold. Even if they are separated the love will still be there and will not weaken or break. This is because their two souls are one and the love between them is not contingent upon position or distance. John Donne also uses similes to express his view of relationships when he says “If they be two, they are two so as stiff twin compasses are two.” Donne compares these two lovers to compasses because a compass always points north. Two compasses will be synchronized and both will point north. This might mean that both lovers are on the same page on an emotional level and psychological level making it all the more inconceivable to the “laity.”

On the other hand Judith Minty has an opposite view of marriage in her poem “Conjoined”. She says marriage is “An accident, like the two-headed calf-rooted in one body, fighting to suck at its mother’s teats.” Comparing marriage to a two-headed calf is saying a lot. Minty believes that marriage is an accident, something that shouldn’t have happened and in this case is very unnatural. Not only does she compare marriage to a two-headed calf but the calf is fighting. This shows that she believes that not only is marriage unnatural but the only things the two people do is fight with each other, however the two heads can’t get divorced like a married couple. Minty uses a simile once more when she says marriage is “like those other freaks, Chang and Eng, twins joined at the chest by skin and muscle, doomed to live, even make love, together for sixty years.” Here marriage is said to be a freak, a union of two people that are doomed to live. Her pessimism is obvious when she says that they are doomed to live even make love. She must strongly feel that marriage is not good for anyone and those who do get married will be doomed.
Other forms of figurative language are furthermore used to convey opinions about relationships. Metaphors are used by John Donne in his poem “A Valediction.” This can be seen when he says “So let us melt, and make no noise, no tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move, twere profanation of our joys to tell the laity of our love.” Literally the two lovers aren’t going to melt but figuratively yes. Just as perhaps ice goes to water they too will melt into one fluid liquid that will essentially become all that is left of their love. Donne feels that the love of these two lovers is so pure that it’s not even worth mentioning to the laity, and that they would not even be able to comprehend what it means to be in such a love as theirs.

Judith Minty successfully uses symbolism to get her point across. For example she says “The onion in my cupboard, a monster; actually two joined under one transparent skin: each half-round, then flat and deformed where it pressed and grew against the other.” She cleverly symbolizes marriage as an onion and says that it is a monster. So according to her marriage is like a monster in which two perfectly normal “onions” grow deformed against each other in one skin. I think that this translates to two normal people becoming an odd couple that only detract from each other under the institution of marriage. Seeing an onion like the one she described would be unnatural just like the way she feels about marriage. She elaborates on the onion symbol by saying “Ah, but men don’t slice inions in the kitchen, seldom see what is invisible.” This might men don’t cry because when someone slices onions they tend to cry. Perhaps she is trying to say that men are less emotionally invested than women are in relationships.

Both authors have different views about the nature of relationships and use figurative language to prove this. Minty feels that love is unnatural and cause pain while Donne feels that some kinds of love is spiritual and inconceivable to the average person.











FINAL DRAFT

The poems “Conjoined” by Judith Minty and “A Valediction” by John Donne both discuss the nature of relationships. Both authors have opposing views and use figurative language to prove this. Judith Minty uses symbolism and similes to show how awkward and unnatural marriage is, and John Donne also uses similes and metaphors to show that love is a pure unbreakable bond and unfathomable to the “laity.”

Both authors use similes to show their respective views about relationships. In “A Valediction” John Donne speaks about two lovers and says “Our two souls therefore, which are one, though I must go, endure not yet a breach, but an expansion like gold to airy thinness beat.” When gold is stretched out, it does not break but just becomes thinner and thinner. Donne is saying that the love between those two is similar to gold. Even if they are separated the love will still be there and will not weaken or break. This is because their two souls are one and the love between them is not contingent upon position or distance. John Donne also uses similes to express his view of relationships when he says “If they be two, they are two so as stiff twin compasses are two.” Donne compares these two lovers to compasses because in this case the two compasses support each other. The fact that a compass is being used is also interesting because compasses are used to draw circles. Circles are archetypal objects that signify eternal love, complete love, and perhaps even the harmony between the two lovers. This might mean that both lovers are on the same page on an emotional level and psychological level making it all the more inconceivable to the “laity.”

On the other hand Judith Minty has an opposite view of marriage in her poem “Conjoined”. She says marriage is “An accident, like the two-headed calf-rooted in one body, fighting to suck at its mother’s teats.” Comparing marriage to a two-headed calf is saying a lot. Minty believes that marriage is an accident, something that shouldn’t have happened and in this case is very unnatural. Not only does she compare marriage to a two-headed calf but the calf is fighting. This shows that she believes that not only is marriage unnatural but the only things the two people do is fight with each other, however the two heads can’t get divorced like a married couple. Minty uses a simile once more when she says marriage is “like those other freaks, Chang and Eng, twins joined at the chest by skin and muscle, doomed to live, even make love, together for sixty years.” Here marriage is said to be a freak, a union of two people that are doomed to live. Her pessimism is obvious when she says that they are doomed to live even make love. She must strongly feel that marriage is not good for anyone and those who do get married will be doomed.
Other forms of figurative language are furthermore used to convey opinions about relationships. Metaphors are used by John Donne in his poem “A Valediction.” This can be seen when he says “So let us melt, and make no noise, no tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move, twere profanation of our joys to tell the laity of our love.” Literally the two lovers aren’t going to melt but figuratively yes. Just as perhaps ice goes to water they too will melt into one fluid liquid that will essentially become all that is left of their love. Donne feels that the love of these two lovers is so pure that it’s not even worth mentioning to the laity, and that they would not even be able to comprehend what it means to be in such a love as theirs.

Judith Minty successfully uses symbolism to get her point across. For example she says “The onion in my cupboard, a monster; actually two joined under one transparent skin: each half-round, then flat and deformed where it pressed and grew against the other.” She cleverly symbolizes marriage as an onion and says that it is a monster. So according to her marriage is like a monster in which two perfectly normal “onions” grow deformed against each other in one skin. I think that this translates to two normal people becoming an odd couple that only detract from each other under the institution of marriage. Seeing an onion like the one she described would be unnatural just like the way she feels about marriage. She elaborates on the onion symbol by saying “Ah, but men don’t slice inions in the kitchen, seldom see what is invisible.” This might men don’t cry because when someone slices onions they tend to cry. Perhaps she is trying to say that men are less emotionally invested than women are in relationships.

Both authors have different views about the nature of relationships and use figurative language to prove this. Minty feels that love is unnatural and cause pain while Donne feels that some kinds of love is spiritual and inconceivable to the average person.