‘The Desire for the Proximate’: Lesbian ‘Likenesse’ in ‘Sapho to Philaenis’
‘The Desire for the Proximate’: Lesbian ‘Likenesse’ in ‘Sapho to Philaenis’
This chapter examines John Donne's lesbian love poem Sappho to Philaenis. It discusses the possible reasons for and implications of this poem's near invisibility and its relegation beyond the margins of Donne's canon. It suggests that Donne's representation of lesbian love arises out of a desire to synthesize the unitive perfections of the marriage relationship and the Renaissance ideal of friendship between equals.
Keywords: John Donne, Sappho to Philaenis, lesbian love, marriage, friendship
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