Summary of "Song: Go and Catch a Falling Star"

Song: Go and Catch a Falling star

John Donne (1572-1631)

“Go and catch a falling star,

    Get with child a mandrake root,

Tell me where all past years are,

    Or who cleft the devil's foot,

Teach me to hear mermaids singing,

Or to keep off envy's stinging,

            And find

            What wind

Serves to advance an honest mind.

If thou be'st born to strange sights,

    Things invisible to see,

Ride ten thousand days and nights,

    Till age snow white hairs on thee,

Thou, when thou return'st, wilt tell me,

All strange wonders that befell thee,

            And swear,

            No where

Lives a woman true, and fair.

If thou find'st one, let me know,

    Such a pilgrimage were sweet;

Yet do not, I would not go,

    Though at next door we might meet;

Though she were true, when you met her,

And last, till you write your letter,

            Yet she

            Will be

False, ere I come, to two, or three”.

Summary 

In this poem John Donne has focused on an argument that it is totally impossible to find out a woman or lady who is both attractive and trustworthy to the man. In the opening lines, Donne indicates a number of impossible and incredible tasks. He parallels these tasks with an honest woman. He claims that tracing a woman who is truly honest in love is as tough as to catch a falling star (which is vanished at a glimpse). He also states other impossible tasks such as- conceiving a child with Mandrake tree, (The mandrake has a lengthy history as a magical plant. Known from ancient times for its anesthetic properties, mandrake is mentioned in the book of Genesis as an aphrodisiac, used by Rachel to conceive a son), getting back the full records of past, solving the mystery of the Devil’s cloves and memorizing the knack of hearing mermaid’s singing. Donne says sarcastically that tracing an honest woman is so difficult as dwelling without the pain of envy. Here envy is the lust for other who is longing for his woman secretly. He also adds that it is not possible to find that wind which brings prosperity of those who has honest mind. In this sense, the dishonest people overcome and prosper, whereas the honest people fail to do so.

In the middle of the poem is about the imagination of a voyage of ten thousand days. Donne here imagines an imaginary character who will spend his lifetime in a journey until he has his grey hairs. And he will there wait for a woman who is honest and mild. Donne is so confident that the traveler may enjoy the strange and weird sights of nature, but can’t find out a woman with honest mind.

In the closing part, Donne shows a positive idea or tone in finding an honest woman. He says that if the traveler finds such honest woman by chance, he should inform the lady immediately. Here he mentions the journey about a pilgrimage. In the meantime, Donne changes his mind not to travel or go to the next door to meet the woman. According to him, by the time he arrives, the woman may sleep with two or three other men. He ends up the poem with more sarcastic and harsh words that a woman would only remain honest as long as it takes the time to write the letter to her. Thus, he confirms his cynical argument. The poet accuses all women saying that they lack the ability to remain true to any man.