Compare and Contrast “Sonnet XVIII” (Shakespeare) with “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” (Donne) in terms of meaning, tone and style. Conclude by saying which you prefer and why.

John Donne’s “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,” and Shakespeare’s “Sonnet XVIII” depict love in extremely different ways. John Donne explores the power of the connection between his, and his lover’s souls, whereas Shakespeare focuses mainly on the beauty of his lover.
Donne was a metaphysical poet who used his intelligence to produce original, clever poetry, although this did sometimes cause criticism, as some people accused him of trying to show off his intelligence, and being arrogant. However, others thought that this elevated his poems, and made them more special, as I think it does in this particular poem. As he plays with the language in the poem, it can make the meaning quite hard to decipher, however this leads one to think about the imagery and meanings, which can often lead to a deeper appreciation of the poem.
“A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,” the title of Donne’s poem, leads one immediately to the thought of death, as ‘mourning’ u...