In John Donne’s poem “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,” a compass symbolizes two united lovers.
Donne compares the lovers to the two legs of a drawing compass. One foot remains fixed at the center while the other travels around it; although separated, the two remain connected and ultimately return together. The image presents love as stable, mathematically ordered, and able to withstand physical distance.
The poem was probably written around 1611 and published posthumously in 1633. It is often classified as a metaphysical poem because it develops an extended, intellectually surprising comparison known as a conceit.
The instrument is a geometric compass, not a navigational compass. That distinction matters: the poem refers to the device used to draw circles. Donne’s argument also differs from ordinary farewell poetry because the speaker asks for calm confidence rather than dramatic public grief.