Wit + Donne

Donne's poetry and Edson's play Wit, Edson offers an alternative interpretation of his classic poems so that when studied together, the two texts highlight the universal values of acceptance and simplicity.

Both the play and the poems explore with the 'larger aspects of the human experience: LIFE, DEATH and GOD, although both are from very different perspectives, due to their differing contexts. Donne's 17th century society was religious and confident in their beliefs, that they would "wake eternally" , Wit, is set in modern times where it is science rather than religion that is viewed as the saviour. In this view Vivian's constant attachment to the IV pole, the ubiquitous symbol of modern medicine, is similar to Donne's belief in and dependence on an omnipresent God.

Edson and Donne map out remarkably similar approaches to death. Through the course of the play, there is a transition from fighting to acceptance of death, paralleling Donne's change of heart from his earlier 'Death be not proud', to 'Hymne to God' written shortly before his death. In the former, Donne's tone is arrogant and dramatic, issuing death itself with imperatives, "be not proud", and following a logical argument disempowering death, his dramatic style and rationality characteristic of the metaphysical poets. Through the conceit of likening death to a person and directly addressing it "thou shalt die" , Donne implicitly demonstrates that he sees death as something to be conquered, an idea further reflected in his word choice, "overthrow", and "slave". This direct way of dealing with death could be seen to be reflective of his context. With four of Donne's family members dying before the age of six (6), death was a prominent part of Renaissance life, and one Donne felt the need to overcome.

In Wit, Edson has Vivian confront Death "full-force", a struggle that requires her to be "tough" and "uncompromising" , although death itself is only acknowledged indirectly, through highly intellectual medical jargon "insidious adenocarcinoma", reflective of today's society denial of death. Similarly to Donne's compact sonnets convey an intensity of character, Vivian's strong personality is accentuated by the structure of the play, the lack of any break in the action conveys a sense of relentless, compelling the viewer on. "Never on to turn from a challenge", Vivian sees her cancer an opponent to be fought with "aggressive intellect" and the "acquisition of vocabulary", which she sees as her "only defence".

However, Vivian's attitude changes as her sickness progresses, she becomes more orientated towards "simple human kindnesses", realising that death is not a time for "verbal swordplay" and resistance. Instead, he attitude becomes much more one of acceptance, telling Susie to "just let (her heart) stop", rather than fight the inevitable. This transition is further represented through Edson's symbolic use of the picture book. It is "an