An interpretation of "A Lecture upon the Shadow" (John Donne‪)‬

One of the most significant characteristics of the so-called “metaphysical poets” was the
usage of metaphorical language. The metaphors contained in their works were that striking
that some people adored them for the usage of such a language while others disliked them
for the same reason.
The theory which stands behind metaphors is that complex that it would go beyond the scope
of this essay to explain it in great detail. Nevertheless I want to stress one aspect of it which
will enable me to interpret the following poem: Metaphors draw connections between
different semantic fields and thus cause interactions which very often lead to a better
understanding. Interpreting the poem “A Lecture upon the Shadow” by John Donne I am
going to work with this thesis and thereby explain it.