The Indifferent View On Eroticism

John Donne, a poet, is known for having literary pieces that possess irony and eroticism. John Donne was said to have spent his inheritance (money) on women, books, and travel. Given this fact, John Donne was obviously a “womanizer” before, so, it would be impossible if he did not have a single literary piece that does not have anything to do with women or eroticism.  “The Indifferent” by John Donne is one of the literary pieces, particularly a poem that represents a literary lesson that is important in reading and understanding different selections: Without literature, people will have a different view of eroticism.

“The Indifferent” carries simple sets of words that send concepts which are erotic but carry factual meanings. An example would be the line “Rob me, but bind me not, and let me go” which may seem weird because of the terms used, but it carries a meaning that can be perceived as a man’s thoughts of his other woman/women: "Rob mee," refers to the belief that sexual intercourse shortened the length of life, "but binde me not," don't tie me down, "and let me goe," and let me leave when I am sexually satisfied. In contrast to some instances that the woman is starting to feel attached to the man which is contradict to the man’s idea of their relationship.

To others, eroticism being present in a literary piece may not be favorable. But, it is. Taking John Donne’s “The Indifferent” as an example, it portrays eroticism, imagery, and language. Focusing on eroticism present in the text and setting aside the fact that not all accept and allow this, if just analyzed and put to heart a different perspective of the poem, it provides lessons that are applicable today, even in the society.

“The Indifferent” is the poem’s title, the title in which alone can serve as a good reminder. “Indifferent”, in other words, uncaring or unconcerned. The title itself refers and reflects the speaker’s attitude, and so does the first stanza. He is indifferent to whom he chooses as a lover; she may be “fair” or “brown” (line 1), rich or poor (line 2), solitary or social (line 3), and so on. A shallow meaning and view on these lines may portray the speaker’s personality, a womanizer. If we lay down a deeper meaning to these lines, it would be the opposite of what our present society dictates us: we must choose the greater one to love, social status is a basis on loving somebody, and skin color and race are big deals when it comes to being a friend or a lover, and more. But are these things really acceptable when it comes to loving fairly? No. Society has been giving the wrong ideas when it comes to friendship and relationships, and it amazes me how ironic it can be that real and fair lessons can be extracted from a poem which carries eroticism if just comprehended deeper.

Many lessons can be interpreted from the poem; an example would be, the freedom of loving anyone without considering the differences between your complexions, wealth, likes, dislikes and even the things you always do. This lesson is extracted again from the first stanza. In the first stanza, the male speaker begins by asserting that he is capable of loving a woman with a light complexion and woman with a dark complexion. He can love a rich woman and a poor woman. He can love a woman who likes being alone or a woman who enjoys social events. He can love a woman from a rural area or a woman raised in a city. He can love a woman who is ready to believe men’s claims and one who must test such claims before believing. He can love a woman who is constantly weeping, and he can love a woman who never weeps. He seems to point to a variety of different specific women and says that he is capable of loving any single one of them.

The second lesson is infidelity. Though the poem portrays infidelity or being unfaithful or not loyal, it can be applied in a positive sense in a different story. In the second stanza, the wooer gives additional reasons for the woman to give in to his advances. Being true is a “vice,” while “your mothers” chose infidelity and turned out fine (line 11). And in our present society, being “unloyal” to the things we got used to could be a source of a new beginning. It is not bad to stay out of the line for once in a while. Nothing is wrong with being with a black friend if you are white, or being with an African if you are Asian, it never hurt to be a friend of someone who likes to watch horror when you are fond of watching comedy, it was never illegal to “hang out” with a break dancer if you are a ballerina, no one suffered when an optimist married a pessimist. Even the poem itself is argumentative in style.

Lastly, I would like to point out that eroticism present in literature is not a bad thing at all. It is the thought, the idea, the objective or the purpose of the piece that counts. Also, it is the reader too who gives life to various literary pieces. Eroticism is not bad in literature, because even the simplest, reliable, and applicable lessons can be found in an erotic poem than the society.

This poetry of John’s may entirely be ironic and erotic but the irony and eroticism bring sudden realization to the people who are persistent of understanding it. Literature is our friend, and is our teacher. This piece by John Donne helps us achieve a different perspective in certain things in life, including eroticism. More perspective means more knowledge and understanding, whether you are a writer or a reader, and because of this, we would excel in comprehending the following literary pieces. Just as what John Donne said, “But, though all knowledge be in those authors already, yet, as some poisons, and some medicines, hurt not, nor profit, except the creature in which they reside, contribute their lively activitie, and vigor; so, much of the knowledge buried in books perisheth, and becomes ineffectuall, if it be not applied, and refreshed by a companion, or friend.” and as stated by James Reeves, “Between the most striking and most immediately comprehensible lines, there are often passages of great intellectual complexity which require some pains to understand; without such understanding, the poems cannot be fully appreciated.”