Bacon and Hobbes

On scanning King Lear and the works of John Donne in light of the writing of Sir Francis Bacon, there are several notable connections that arise, showing that such literature was indeed influenced by the non-fiction schools of thought circulating at the time.

One of these connections can be found between Shakespeare’s King Lear and Bacon’s essay "On Truth." In King Lear, the plot is advanced by pitting truth and falsehood against each other, with the implicit understanding that truth is good and falsehood, evil. We see this struggle in the very first scene of the play, when King Lear is deciding how to divide his kingdom. Both Reagan and Goneril lie about their regard for their father, using obsequious and flowery speech to convince him that they hold him in much higher esteem than is actually true. Cordelia, on the other hand, is unable to flatter her father with lies (because of her moral character), and tells him in simple, straightforward speech of her true feelings for him. Later, Edmund lies about his brother Edward, convincing his father that the latter does not have his best wishes at heart, so that he may inherit his title and fortune despite being a bastard. All the evil that follows these first few scenes arises, essentially, from these lies. There is much suffering for everyone involved, but ultimately, good and truth triumph.

This understanding of truth is one that is spiritedly stressed in Bacon's essay "On Truth." Bacon is surprised by the fact that people are attracted to lies, and averse to truth. He says that there is no excuse for lies in everyday life – the only reasonable explanations for lies are when poets lie to make their writing interesting, or when businessmen lie for profit (“what should be in it, that men should love lies; where neither they make for pleasure, as with poets, nor for advantage, as with the merchant; but for the lie's sake”). Bacon calls the inquiry, knowledge, and belief of truth “the sovereign good of human nature.” In fact, he sees lying as one of the most shameful acts a man can commit: “there is no vice, that doth so cover a man with shame, as to be found false and perfidious.” Thus, there is an obvious connection between Bacon’s essay and King Lear: Bacon sees lying as extremely wrong and destructive, and this notion is manifested in the tragedy of King Lear, that takes place, at a basic level, because of the lies of the immoral characters. This understanding of truth is also seen in the ultimate fate of the lying characters in King Lear: Bacon says that lying is the height of wickedness, and that it will incur the wrath of God, and indeed, the fates of Goneril, Reagan, and Edmund can be interpreted as such.

Another connection can be found between the Holy Sonnets of John Donne and Bacon’s essays “Of Marriage and Single Life” and “Of Superstition.” In Donne’s Holy Sonnet 17 he says that it is good his wife is dead, because now he has more time and attention to give to God. This sentiment echoes Bacon’s idea that “he that hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune; for they are impediments to great enterprises,” and that “the best works, and of greatest merit for the public, have proceeded from the unmarried or childless men.” Bacon says “a single life doth well with churchmen,” because they, like Donne after his wife dies, have nothing to distract them from complete devotion to God.

It is interesting to note that in his essay “Of Superstition,” Bacon says that it is better to be an atheist than to have an “unworthy” opinion of, or imperfect relationship with, God. Bacon says that at least “atheism leaves a man to sense, to philosophy, to natural piety, to laws, to reputation,” but superstition precludes the possibilities of all these moral virtues, and thus atheism is preferable. Donne, although he similarly feels that one should have a “worthy” relationship with God, does not see an imperfect relationship as a reason to renounce God completely. In Holy Sonnets 7 and 14 especially, he beseeches God to help him become a better man, that he may allow God into his heart and be judged favorably on Judgment Day.

John Donne - Holy Sonnets & Meditations

John Donne’s Holy Sonnets and his Devotions show an engagement with God that was absent from the other poems of his that we have read. Where his Song and Sonnets and Elegies are mainly about love and lust, his Holy Sonnets and Devotions demonstrate an immersion into religion: in these there are various references to God (or the Trinity), the Church, and the idea of Heaven, or eternal life.

In Donne’s previous poems, we saw various instances where he sought to be master over something: in The Sun Rising, he feels himself master of nature (“I could eclipse and cloud [thy beams] with a wink”), and in Elegy 19, he seeks to be master of his mistress (“O my America! My new-found-land, my kingdom…”). Although he retains some of this superiority in his Holy Sonnets and Meditations, Donne sees God as superior to himself (and all of mankind): “Thou hast made me,” he says in Sonnet 1. This is also clear in his Meditation 4, where he says “Except God, Man is a diminutive to nothing.” Although he sees man as more complex and exquisite than the earth, he still sees God as more powerful than man. It is this belief in God’s power that allows him to address Death boldly as he does in Sonnet 10: he says Death is not “mighty or dreadful” as some would say. Instead Donne compares Death to rest and sleep, saying that Death is but “one short sleep,” after which the dead will awake and have eternal life, and Death will “die” (no longer exist).

In this vein, we can also say that Donne sees himself as imperfect in comparison to God, and he beseeches Him to “teach [him] how to repent,” and to give him time to do so on earth before Judgment Day (Sonnet 7). He asks God to “batter [his] heart” as if it was the gate of a captured town; he says that he labors to admit God into his heart, but that he needs His help to do it, as he is “betrothed” to his enemy (Sonnet 14). Despite this self-perceived sinful nature, however, Donne longs for a relationship with God. In Sonnet 14, he says “dearly I love you…Take me to you, imprison me, for I, Except you enthrall me, never shall be free, Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me,” essentially saying that he cannot be happy or free unless God takes possession of his heart and enchants him.

Donne’s relationship with the Church (as an extension of his relationship with God) is also explored in these poems and Meditations. In Sonnet 18, Donne addresses Christ in regard to His spouse, the Church, and begs for religious satisfaction by being allowed to “court” the Church. In Meditation 17 especially, we see Donne’s complex relationship with the Church: he sees it as a universal establishment which connects all men (“No man is an island”). Just as each clod of dirt is a part of Europe, so too is each man a part of the entire human race. Because of this connection, Donne says that in some sense, when the funeral bell tolls for one person, it tolls for everyone: “never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee” (Meditation 17).

John Donne - Songs and Sonnets & Elegies

In The Flea, Donne displays his skill in turning even a tiny insect into a symbol of love and romance. The poem is lighthearted and witty – indeed, the central theme is that a mere flea could represent a “marriage bed and marriage temple.” The poem never explicitly refers to sex, but it is clear that that is what the poem is refers to – the speaker is trying to convince his loved one to engage in premarital sex, saying that it will be completely innocuous and blameless.

In Song, Donne’s attitude towards love is sweeter: instead of a focus on the sexual, physical aspect of romance, he talks of the separation from his love, and how it will not weaken their bond. He says he is not leaving “for weariness” of his beloved, nor is he looking for a “fitter love.” In fact, he compares his departure from her to death. He compares his fidelity to the dependability of the sun - just as it rises every day, so can his lover trust that he will return to her.

Canonization is significantly more complex than the first two poems. Donne’s speaker is sardonic and yet innocently defends love, witty and yet completely love struck. The title refers to the process by which people are inducted into the canon of saints – giving it a spiritual feel even though the poem is a very logical, worldly defence of love. The speaker defends his love affair in this poem, saying that it does not hurt anyone (similar to his sentiments in The Flea, although in this poem they are directed not to his beloved, but to anyone who would criticize his love).

It appears after Elegy 19, however, that Donne has a change of heart towards love. This poem is playful and very erotic. It focuses solely on the physical aspect of love, and describes in detail the desire the speaker feels for his mistress and her body. The poem is very straightforward in what it is about; however even in this heightened state of excitement, the speaker retains his capacity for wit, calling himself a soldier waiting for battle.

In A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning the speaker describes the nature of a more spiritual love. In the light of impending separation from his beloved, he tells her that their physical separation can be transcended by their spiritual connection. He says that their two souls are one, and that therefore being separated will only increase the area of their one soul, as opposed to creating a distance between them.

Thus on the whole I feel that it is hard to discern a continuous trend of emotion in these poems, at least read in this order. They go from playful to sweet to sardonic to erotic to vaguely spiritual. I feel that the poems can be grouped into three types: The Flea and Elegy 19 focus on the physical act of love, Song is about the bittersweetness of separation from a loved one, and Canonization and A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning have a spiritual bent to them. Alternatively, Canonization can be grouped with Song in its sweet defence of love, and A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning can be grouped with Song since it is also about separation from his beloved.