The Apparition: John Donne

This poem uses a metaphor between being a ghost and being scorned by a past love. The main character talks about how if his love were to ever scorn him, he would "die". The metaphor is carried out by the character speaking of how he would haunt his past love, even when she is with another. This haunting is a symbol for memories that won't leave her mind. In the end, the character speaks of how this is nothing but a threat. He ends the metaphor with the statement of haunting. Finally, it is clear that he would prefer to be scorned or for his love to say that she were not in love, than to lie and continue on till it was overly apparent. Additionally to the metaphor in this poem, Donne uses rhyme scheme to give the poem a flow.