A Study of Donne's Poetry in Postcolonial Feminist Perspective: To His Mistress Going to Bed

Abstract

To His Mistress Going to Bed is a love poem by John Donne, a British metaphysical poet. The poem describes the process in which the male protagonist seduces the female protagonist. Most critics focus on the mystical metaphor of Donne as a poet, but lack attention to the underlying significance of this poem. This article analyzes the female subject in poetry based on the theory of postcolonial feminism, revealing that the female subject in the poem is in a state of being banned by mainstream Western society, suppressed by patriarchal society, and colonized. It studies the issue of identity loss and identity construction of female subjects; This article also explores the social background and cultural colonization of the Elizabethan and James I eras in which the poet lived, and the subtle influence of colonial consciousness on the poet and his poetry. Ultimately, it is concluded that John Donne constructed a textual world of "others" through the poetic text in the process of creating this poem. This paper provides a new perspective for the study of postcolonial feminism and helps to drive people to engage in new reflections.