To Mr Rowland Woodward

John Donne (1572–1631) · 1633

iambic pentameter · heroic couplets · 37 lines · from Poems

Like one who'in her third widdowhood doth professeHer selfe a Nunne, tyed to retirednesse,So'affects my muse now, a chast fallownesse;

Since shee to few, yet to too many'hath showneHow love-song weeds, and Satyrique thornes are growneWhere seeds of better Arts, were early sown.

Though to use, and love Poëtrie, to mee,Betroth'd to no'one Art, be no'adulterie;Omissions of good, ill, as ill deeds bee.

For though to us it seeme,'and be light and thinne,Yet in those faithfull scales, where God throwes inMens workes, vanity weighs as much as sinne.

If our Soules have stain'd their first white, yet weeMay cloth them with faith, and deare honestie,Which God imputes, as native puritie.

There is no Vertue, but Religion:Wise, valiant, sober, just, are names, which noneWant, which want not Vice-covering discretion.

Seeke wee then our selves in our selves; for asMen force the Sunne with much more force to passe,By gathering his beames with a christall glasse;

So wee, If wee into our selves will turne,Blowing our sparkes of vertue, may outburneThe straw, which doth about our hearts sojourne.

You know, Physitians, when they would infuseInto any'oyle, the Soules of Simples, usePlaces, where they may lie still warme, to chuse.

So workes retirednesse in us; To romeGiddily, and be every where, but at home,Such freedome doth a banishment become.

Wee are but farmers of our selves, yet may,If we can stocke our selves, and thrive, uplayMuch, much deare treasure for the great rent day.

Manure thy selfe then, to thy selfe be'approv'd,And with vaine outward things be no more mov'd,But to know, that I love thee'and would be lov'd.

Dunne to one that desired some of his papers. B: To Mr R.

Words in this poem

nunne n.: A woman devoted to a religious life, who lives in a convent, under the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. [OE. nunne, AS. nunne, fr. L. nonna nun, nonnus monk; cf. Gr. Nunnery.]
thinne a.: Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite; as, a thin plate of metal; thin paper; a thin board; a thin covering. [OE. thinne, thenne, thunne, AS. þynne; akin to D. dun, G. dünn, OHG. dunni, Icel. þunnr, Sw. tunn, Dan. tynd, Gael. & Ir. tana, W. teneu, L. tenuis, Gr. tanu th]
faithfull a.: Full of faith, or having faith; disposed to believe, especially in the declarations and promises of God.
sinne adv.: Old form of Since. [Obs. or Prov.Eng. & Scot.]
deare: variant of Dere, v. t. & n.
valiant a.: Vigorous in body; strong; powerful; as, a valiant fencer. [OE. valiant, F. vaillant, OF. vaillant, valant, originally p. pr. of OF. & F. valoir to be worth, L. valere to be strong. See Wield, and cf. Avail, Convalesce, ]
discretion n.: Disjunction; separation. Mede. [F. discrétion, L. discretio separation, difference, discernment, fr. discernere, discretum. See Discreet, Discern.]
passe a.: Past; gone by; hence, past one's prime; worn; faded; as, a passée belle. Ld. Lytton. [F.]
giddily adv.: In a giddy manner.
uplay v. t.: To hoard. Donne.
dunne n.: A mound or small hill. [See Dune.]

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

To Mr Rowland Woodward is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poems of John Donne, Volume 1 (of 2) Edited from the Old Editions and Numerous Manuscripts, Project Gutenberg ebook #48688; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.

Cite as: John Donne, To Mr Rowland Woodward, in Poems (1633), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #48688, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/donne-poems/to-mr-rowland-woodward.html, id L04962.

Form and metre

To Mr Rowland Woodward is 37 lines in 13 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 54% of the lines: heroic couplets. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 79%). 94% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 10.3 syllables. 2 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 32% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.

See other poems in heroic couplets, other poems in iambic pentameter.

Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.

Rhyme words, stanza by stanza

The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.

1 AAA professe^A · retirednesse^A · fallownesse^A
2 AAA showne^A · growne^A · sown^A
3 A-A mee^A · no'adulterie · bee^A
4 AAA thinne^A · in^A · sinne^A
5 -AA wee · honestie^A · puritie^A
6 AAA religion^A · none^A · discretion^A
8 AAA turne^A · outburne^A · sojourne^A
9 AAA infuse^A · use^A · chuse^A
10 AAA rome^A · home^A · become^A
11 AAA may^A · uplay^A · day^A
12 AAA be'approv'd^A · mov'd^A · lov'd^A

Scansion, line by line

Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.

Line	Syl.	Stress
Like one who'in her third widdowhood doth professe	11	···········
Her selfe a Nunne, tyed to retirednesse,	10	··········
So'affects my muse now, a chast fallownesse;	10	··········
Since shee to few, yet to too many'hath showne	11	···········
How love-song weeds, and Satyrique thornes are growne	11	···········
Where seeds of better Arts, were early sown.	10	···/˘··/˘·
Though to use, and love Poëtrie, to mee,	9	·········
Betroth'd to no'one Art, be no'adulterie;	10	··········
Omissions of good, ill, as ill deeds bee.	10	˘/˘·······
For though to us it seeme,'and be light and thinne,	11	···········
Yet in those faithfull scales, where God throwes in	10	···/˘·····
Mens workes, vanity weighs as much as sinne.	10	··/˘˘·····
If our Soules have stain'd their first white, yet wee	10	·/········
May cloth them with faith, and deare honestie,	10	··········
Which God imputes, as native puritie.	10	··˘/·/˘···
There is no Vertue, but Religion:	9	······˘/˘
Wise, valiant, sober, just, are names, which none	10	·/˘/˘·····
Want, which want not Vice-covering discretion.	11	·····/˘˘˘/˘
Seeke wee then our selves in our selves; for as	10	···/··/···
Men force the Sunne with much more force to passe,	11	··········/
By gathering his beames with a christall glasse;	10	·/˘····/˘·
So wee, If wee into our selves will turne,	10	······/···
Blowing our sparkes of vertue, may outburne	10	/˘/·······
The straw, which doth about our hearts sojourne.	10	······/···
You know, Physitians, when they would infuse	10	········˘/
Into any'oyle, the Soules of Simples, use	11	········/˘·
Places, where they may lie still warme, to chuse.	10	/˘········
So workes retirednesse in us; To rome	10	··········
Giddily, and be every where, but at home,	11	/˘˘··/˘····
Such freedome doth a banishment become.	10	·····/˘˘˘/
Wee are but farmers of our selves, yet may,	10	···/˘·/···
If we can stocke our selves, and thrive, uplay	10	····/···˘/
Much, much deare treasure for the great rent day.	10	···/˘·····
Manure thy selfe then, to thy selfe be'approv'd,	10	˘/········
And with vaine outward things be no more mov'd,	10	···/˘·····
But to know, that I love thee'and would be lov'd.	10	··········
Dunne to one that desired some of his papers. B: To Mr R.	16	····˘/···/˘··/˘·

Notes from the edition 20

Herbert Grierson's record of the readings of the early editions and manuscripts, from his Poems of John Donne (Oxford, 1912; Project Gutenberg #48688).

Stanza 1, line 1 professe] professe, 1633
Stanza 1, line 2 retirednesse, 1633-69, B, Cy, D, H40, H49, JC, O'F, P, S: a retirednesse, A18, L74, N, TC, W
Stanza 1, line 3 fallownesse; Ed: fallownesse. 1633-54: fallowness, 1669: holinesse Cy, P, S96
Stanza 2, line 1 too] so W showne 1633, 1669: flowne, 1635-54
Stanza 2, line 2 How love-song weeds, 1633: How long loves weeds, 1635-54, O'F: How Love-song weeds, 1669
Stanza 2, line 3 sown. 1633, 1669: sown? 1635-54: sown; Chambers, who retains the full-stop after fallownesse
Stanza 4, line 1 to us it] to use it, Cy, P, S96
Stanza 5, line 1 white] whites Cy, O'F, P
Stanza 5, line 2 honestie] integritie Cy, P, S, S96
Stanza 5, line 3 puritie.] puritie, 1633
Stanza 6, line 1 Religion: 1669: Religion, 1633: Religion. 1635-54
Stanza 8, line 2 our] the A18, L74, N, TC
Stanza 9, line 1 infuse] infuse 1633
Stanza 9, line 2 Soules 1633-69, Cy, P: soule B, D, H40, JC, Lec, N, O'F, S, S96, TC, W
Stanza 10, line 1 To 1635-69: to 1633
Stanza 10, line 2 Giddily, 1669: Giddily 1633-54
Stanza 11, line 1 farmers 1635-69, and all MSS., where it is generally spelt fermers: termers 1633
Stanza 11, line 3 deare 1633, and most MSS.: good 1635-69, Cy, O'F, P, S96
Stanza 12, line 1 approv'd 1633-54, A18, Cy, D, H40, H49, JC, L74, Lec, N, O'F, P, S, S96, TC, W: improv'd 1669, B, Chambers
Stanza 12, line 3 lov'd. 1633-69: belov'd. A18, L74, N, P, S, S96, TC

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