In John Donne’s poem “The Canonization,” the speaker passionately defends his love against external criticisms, asserting the validity and sanctity of his relationship. Employing biographical criticism allows us to delve into Donne’s personal life, particularly his tumultuous love story with Anne More, and understand how his experiences influenced the poem.

One of the things we will learn in this course is that summary is not analysis. A literary analysis needs to make an argument about the text that is supported with evidence. In biographical criticism, this will be both evidence from the text itself and evidence about the author’s life. For most of the other critical methods we will use in this class, we’ll use a sentence similar to the first one in this AI essay. Instead of talking about the author, we’ll talk about the poem’s speaker. However, in biographical criticism, we want to talk about the author. I would revise the first sentence like this: In his famous poem, “The Canonization,” seventeenth-century English poet John Donne passionately passionately defends his love against external criticisms, asserting the validity and sanctity of his marriage to Anne More. This first paragraph is also missing a clear thesis statement that makes an argument. As with many student essays, I was able to find a good thesis statement in the essay’s conclusion:“Donne’s personal struggles and triumphs in love are intricately woven into the fabric of the poem, transforming it into a powerful expression of defiance, resilience, and the enduring nature of true love.”  In your own papers, please make sure you have a thesis statement that makes an argument at the end of your introduction. You can restate the thesis in the conclusion.

Donne’s marriage to Anne More was marked by societal disapproval, leading to his imprisonment and dismissal from his employer, Thomas Egerton. The initial lines of the poem, “For God’s sake hold your tongue, and let me love,” reflect the defiance against societal norms that Donne faced during his own love affair. The speaker’s plea to be allowed to love despite external judgments resonates with Donne’s own struggles against societal restrictions.

Again, instead of the speaker, with this type of criticism, we would assume the. speaker is Donne (but don’t make that assumption in the next chapter!). Also, for all work you do in this course, please make sure you follow MLA guidelines for citing poetry like this: “For God’s sake hold your tongue, and let me love,” (Line 1). Finally, in biographical criticism, these ideas are not well supported because we know the poem was published posthumously, so it would not have shown public defiance of social norms.

The references to physical ailments such as “palsy” and “gout” can be interpreted metaphorically, representing the challenges and obstacles Donne faced in his personal life due to his forbidden love. The mention of “ruined fortune” alludes to the repercussions Donne suffered, including imprisonment and loss of employment. The poem becomes a poignant expression of Donne’s defiance and resilience in the face of societal censure.

In the first part of this paragraph, the AI really misses the mark. What it doesn’t know (apparently), and what I did not tell it was that John Donne was nearly 30 and Anne was just 17 when they were married. I guess these lines could be interpreted metaphorically, but in biographical criticism, it makes a lot more sense to interpret them literally as proof of his age. The AI is correct about the references to “ruined fortunes” though. 

The speaker’s rhetorical questions about the harm caused by his love mirror Donne’s own introspection on the consequences of his marriage. The imagery of “merchant’s ships” and “tears” emphasizes the profound impact of his emotions on his surroundings, mirroring Donne’s own experiences of personal turmoil affecting not only himself but those around him.

I think the “merchant’s ships” line is more likely to refer to Donne’s employment, and again, the speaker’s rhetorical questions mirror Donne’s introspection because in this type of criticism, they are Donne’s own introspection.

The poem progresses to affirm the transformative power of love, presenting the speaker and his beloved as united souls, transcending societal expectations. Donne’s personal reconciliation with Anne More, despite the initial hardships, finds resonance in the lines, “Call us what you will, we are made such by love,” emphasizing the transformative and unifying nature of their relationship.

The AI is getting some facts wrong here again. The reconciliation I asked it to consider was between Donne and his father-in-law, not Donne and his wife. If you don’t carefully check “factual” statements, you will likely run into trouble with these tools. I do like the interpretation of the lines “Call us what you will” though (but remember to cite the line numbers). 

The references to the phœnix and the eagle and dove further highlight the speaker’s belief in the elevated and enduring nature of their love. Donne, drawing from his own experiences, presents love as a force that can defy societal norms, leading to a harmonious and eternal union.

This is a good example of using imagery to support an interpretation. We will learn more about this when we look at New Criticism in Part Two. A biographical critcism approach might also consider why the author chose these two images. All three are birds, and the phœnix was metaphorical. Was bird imagery like this common in seventeenth-century English poetry? This paragraph is also the first time the AI has really used the the formal requirements of biographical criticism by attributing the poem directly to the author and his experiences. 

In the final stanza, Donne contemplates the possibility of being “canonized for Love.” This can be interpreted as a desire for societal recognition and acceptance of their love story. The invocation at the end, urging others to seek a pattern of their love, reflects Donne’s intent to immortalize his own experiences, seeking validation and understanding from the society that once condemned him.

So here’s the thing. The poem’s title refers to sainthood. Another important thing to consider about Donne’s historical circumstances and his marriage to Anne is that her uncle and father disapproved of his religion. At this time, Protestants and Catholics were still at odds in England. A good biographical criticism essay would definitely address the religious angle, especially given the poem’s title and subject. It would also include a works cited page and rely on outside sources for information about Donne. 

In conclusion, by applying biographical criticism to John Donne’s “The Canonization,” we gain a deeper understanding of the poem’s nuances and the author’s intent. Donne’s personal struggles and triumphs in love are intricately woven into the fabric of the poem, transforming it into a powerful expression of defiance, resilience, and the enduring nature of true love.

I have one favor to ask about your concluding paragraphs: please do not start with “In conclusion.” As noted above, the essay’s actual thesis seems to be the last line of the essay. You will need a strong thesis statement as the last 1-2 sentences of your introduction.