John Donne - sweetest love i do not go

John Donne 

John Donne is today known as the leading poet in the field of meta physical poetry, his poetic style is famous for containing some interpretations of scientific theories and instruments of that period  

                         

sweetest love i do not go

Sweetest love, I do not go,

For weariness of thee,

Nor in hope the world can show

A fitter love for me;

But since that I

Must die at last, 'tis best

To use myself in jest

Thus by feign'd deaths to die.

    John Donne composed this poem when he due to travel was going to be separated from his wife for a short time here he says to his wife that he is not going away from his wife because he has become tired of her as he cannot hope for a better life partner in whole world better than her he further says that in this world everyone must separate at last due to death and hence we must use this separation from each other to prepare for that final separation 

Yesternight the sun went hence,

And yet is here today;

He hath no desire nor sense,

Nor half so short a way:

Then fear not me,

But believe that I shall make

Speedier journeys, since I take

More wings and spurs than he.

     Donne here says to his wife that each day sun travels a long distance and yet return next morning to same place, sun unlike him has no desire or reason to return and his path is also very long, so if he can make such fast journey then he will make even a faster journey then him as he has more desires and feelings for her

O how feeble is man's power,

That if good fortune fall,

Cannot add another hour,

Nor a lost hour recall!

But come bad chance,

And we join to'it our strength,

And we teach it art and length,

Itself o'er us to'advance.

Donne here says that a man’s power is very limited as he cannot add more time during happiness nor can he recall lost time if bad time comes, only  thing we can do is to join our strengths so that we can advance   

When thou sigh'st, thou sigh'st not wind,

But sigh'st my soul away;

When thou weep'st, unkindly kind,

My life's blood doth decay.

It cannot be

That thou lov'st me, as thou say'st,

If in thine my life thou waste,

That art the best of me.

Donne says to his wife that she sould not cry during his departure because when she sighs he feels as if his own soul is sighing away, when she weeps the blood in his veins start to decay, donne here says that  she if she loves him as she says then she should know by wasting her life in torment she is also wasting his as she is part of him 

Let not thy divining heart

Forethink me any ill;

Destiny may take thy part,

And may thy fears fulfil;

But think that we

Are but turn'd aside to sleep;

They who one another keep

Alive, ne'er parted be.

Donne here says that do not let your heart fore think anything bad because sometimes destiny take action just by thinking and ones fears becomes true, you must think this separation as both of us turned aside on bed with our backs toward each other, we are those who keep each other alive and can’t be separated.