Soul's joy, now I am gone

Can anyone help me understand the last line of Donne's "Song: Soul's joy, now I am gone"?

Why should our clay
Over our spirits so much sway,
To tie us to that way?
O give no way to grief, &c.

I thought surely that last part was a typo, but I've seen the same thing on several other websites. I have not yet had a chance to check it in print, but I thought someone on this forum might have some insight?

"Why should our clay Over our spirits so much sway, To tie us to that way?"
the clay represents their bodies- he's saying 'why should our love die, just because our bodies fail us?' their love is eternal. 'don't give way to grief' because they'll love forever. he might even be referring to heaven. i don't know about the &c.

you should read 'the ecstasy,' a poem that embodies what i was saying about the body vs eternal love

I am new to this forum and stumbled on here during my lunch hour as I adore the poetry of Donne. I couldn't help but reply to this post. As I am a network geek w/a penchant for literature, I hope I make sense and if not..bear w/me..

What Donne is saying in this poem is that it matters not whether he and his love are physically together or not. There love is such that it is an eternal presence that trancends time and space. That though they are physical parted that they will always be souls joined so grief is unnecessary.

This poem is a song and the italics indicates the chorus..the etc..is meant to repeat the chorus..I am sure out there in the great ethernet is the music that accompanies this beautiful love poetry...perhaps someone can find it on google somewhere..

This kind of bothered me, so I went ahead and looked it up. The “&c” appears to be an abbreviation for “and chorus” (it's a song, remember? :D ).

So the poem could be written this way:

Quote:

---

Soul's joy, now I am gone,
And you alone,
— Which cannot be,
Since I must leave myself with thee,
And carry thee with me —
Yet when unto our eyes
Absence denies
Each other's sight,
And makes to us a constant night,
When others change to light;
O give no way to grief,
But let belief
Of mutual love
This wonder to the vulgar prove,
Our bodies, not we move.

Let not thy wit beweep
Words but sense deep;
For when we miss
By distance our hope's joining bliss,
Even then our souls shall kiss;
Fools have no means to meet,
But by their feet;
Why should our clay
Over our spirits so much sway,
To tie us to that way?
O give no way to grief,
But let belief
Of mutual love
This wonder to the vulgar prove,
Our bodies, not we move.

---

Allie put forth a fine explanation; the lines seem to be fairly straightforward. I would add that the “clay” does indeed refer to bodies; it is likely derived from Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians: “We have this treasure in jars of clay . . .” Same symbolism as the poem . . . a soul in a body.

Beautiful. Thank you all for that explanation. It was the "&c" that I was confused about. I knew it was a song - I can't believe that it didn't occur to me that there would be a chorus!

Thanks again! ;)