THE ECSTACY

THE ECSTACY

                              John Donne 

                 'The Ecstacy' by Donne is a poem about divine and spiritual experience in love. The pair of lover and his beloved which we find in this poem has reached such a height of love that both experience 'Ecstacy' of love. The poem is addressed by the lover who described in details the experience of Ecstacy in love.

                Both the lover and his beloved sat for the whole day on the bank of a river. In the same manner as bed is always in the company of a 'pillow'. These two images in the very opening of the poem quality the present poem as " Metaphysical poem". Their hands are cemented - they have sat on the bank of a river  hand in hand though no words exchange between the two. Their four eyes become one and yet tied up with an invisible thread. Both realize  that there is exchange of words between their souls though body doesn't speaks. The soul of both speaks the same and listen the same and so the lovers finds it difficult two realize what exactly exchanged between the two. Both get the knowledge that it is not love of body for body. It is love between two souls.

               

                The state Ecstacy which lover and his beloved experience here, reflect John Donne's knowledge about 'Indian Philosophy' and particularly "The Geeta" Donne might be familiar with the philosophy of "The  Geeta" because the way these lover describes his experience of Ecstacy involves the philosophy of Geeta. The Geeta explains in the very opening that soul remains unaffected  and nothing can harm soul, fire can't burn it, water can't wet it and Wind can't dry it. It is eternal and immortal. Even the lover in this poem mentions that his soul would always remain unaffected since it is the love between two souls , nothing would harm their love. Seeing their love, even those people who are week would realize that love can have a height where a love becomes a divine experience . Both have come to a state when they become aware both the truth that body has no significance in love.

                It is through soul that love it is to be expressed and not through body.  Their 'Ecstacy' makes them ware of the truth that body is theirs but they are not body. It is here that the meeting point takes place between "The Geeta" and Spiritual love of the lovers.  The lover considers  such a divine experience as a favour of heaven to him - God to him. He finds all forces ,counter forces have surrendered and so the divine experience of love is possible.  The lover believes that they can't be anything greater and higher in love to be achieved . It is this experience of Ecstacy which lover accepts as the bliss of God - "Almighty."