prompt 2 for week 6. LOVE'S ALCHEMY

John Donne's poem, "Love's Alchemy," says in lines 3-12 read,

I have loved, and got, and told,
But should I love, get, tell, till I were old,
I should not find that hidden mystery;
O' tis imposture all:
And as no chemic yet elixer got,
But glorifies his pregnant pot,
If by the way to him befall
Some odiferous thing, or medicinal;
so lovers dream a rich and long delight,
But get a winter-seeming summer's night.


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I really adore this portion of the poem because by comparing the illusiveness of love to the impossibility of alchemy Donne draws a concrete example for the reader. For the poet in "Love's Alchemy," happiness in love remains a complete mystery. He describes love relationships as imposters, similar to chemics who search to create gold. These chemics put all their faith and hope into their "pregnant pots," hoping to find happiness and riches. But, the poet states, no matter what the chemic's elixer, he cannot create gold. The poet seems to believe that, similarly, people place their faith in romantic relationships hoping to find true love, but instead are left with a "elixer" that fails to be the right potion.

This poem raises an interesting point when it reads, "so lovers dream a rich and long delight, /
But get a winter-seeming summer's night." It reflects the idea that people enter into relationships to find love, and while in the relationship they dream for the perfect harmony of being "in love." Instead of just being lovers, lovers want to be in love. Instead of enjoying a relationship for it's simplicity, fun, etcetera, couple's inevitably feel the weight of finding the person that will "complete them," be "the one," and cure all there past hurt from other relationships. But, just like the chemic who lacks the right potion, this poet is pointing out that most relationships do not end up being "the real thing," no matter how deeply the people involved want it to be.