Community Response (journal 4)

“Community”-------------John Donne
Literary Critic

S: a man speaking to men in the world
O: good and bad
A: men
P: to comment on the imperfection of women and men
S: women and men
TONE: appreciative, realizing

Response: The poem was definitely effective in conveying the view that men need to appreciate women as they are with all of their imperfections. Men need to realize that women are not perfect nor are men. Donne uses the phrase “there are things indifferent which wee may neither hate, nor love” to convey to the reader that things can also be both good and bad or neither because the mixture of good and bad evens out. By this the poet is referring to women and how women are neither good nor bad. The author uses a, a, b, c, c, b and so forth and so on to reveal a specific rhythm. The rhythm demonstrates the strict and lecturing voice in which the poem is written. It has a specific tone and rhythm. The poet also keeps referring to “good” and “bad” to emphasize the importance of realizing the difference between the two as well as the similarities. Good and bad all depends on the perspective in which they are seen. Donne was effective in conveying the similarities between good and bad when associated with women. In the end, the point that the poet is trying to make is that men should not judge women for their mistakes when women’s mistakes are sometimes influenced by the men associated with women.