Critical Thinking Kayleen Caba, Mike Ferrari, Kenric King, Jory Mirtil 1/20/16 Pd. 1 Mrs. Rappaport

Assigned Text We were assigned “A Valediction: Forbidden Mourning” written by John Donne in the 1600s.

“A valediction: Forbidding Mourning” Summary It is a poem in which the writer compares his love for his wife to many other things like earthquakes, compasses and the death of old men.

Central Theme The central claim in John Donne’s “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” is the importance of togetherness in relationships.

Textual Evidence Valediction “Our two souls therefore, which are one, through I must go, endure not yet a breach, but an expansion. Like gold to airy thinness beat” (Donne 15) Two separate souls which are one don’t disconnect when he leaves. They expand and extend the connection. “But we, by a love so much refined that ourselves know not what it is, Inter-assured of the mind careless eyes, lips and hands to miss” (Donne 15) Our love is so strong, that we don’t know what it holds in store and we care for each other with our eyes, lips and hands even when we can’t feel or see them.

Connection to The crucible By cheating on Elizabeth, Proctor broke their togetherness He spends the rest of the play trying to fix it Giles preferred to die than not be with his wife Proctor wasn’t able to fix the broken “compass” These examples from The Crucible show how it shares the central claim, the importance of togetherness in relationships, with “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”.

Textual evidence Crucible “I have known her sir, I have known her” (Miller 110) With this quote Proctor admits to breaking his with his wife Elizabeth and in the end he paid the ultimate price for it. “Martha my wife. I have waked at night many a time and found her in a corner readin’ of a book. Now what do you make of that?” (Miller 40) With this Giles has his wife look very suspicious because he goes on to say that he forgets his prayers when he sees his wife reading and she is later arrested.

Thesis Statement Based on the Crucible Although power plays a big role in relationships, togetherness is the most important factor because without it, relationships would fall apart. This is shown in The Crucible when Elizabeth stays with John after he cheated on her with Abigail. The fact that she stayed with John gave him the strength to tear apart the confession, saving them and their family from a lifetime of humiliation and distrust.