While we think and write through the implementation of metaphors and similes within the poems we read and write for this course, it may be helpful to consider the poetry of John Donne and his use of the conceit as a poetic device within his poems. A conceit, for all intents and purposes, is an extended or sustained metaphor that attempts "to compare very unlike things." We can find specific examples of the conceit in Donne's "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" and "The Flea." In the former of these two works, notice the manner in which the poet employs the image of a compass. On the one hand, the instrument operates at a very literal level; on the other hand, of course, it represents or symbolizes something else. How does Donne's use of metaphor compare to Olds' use of metaphor in "Fear Drowned" on pages 95 and 96 in The Poet's Companion? How are they alike? How are they different? Such questions should provide us with a bit more insight with regard to how poets use these poetic tools.
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