Twin Compasses

You know, I wasn’t going to post today, but I figure I can add a few quickies. Check out vociferation‘s new John Donne tattoo — oh, and it’s a matching tattoo; check her gallery for those pictures…

If they be two, they are two so
As stiff twin compasses are two;
Thy soul, the fixed foot, makes no show
To move, but doth, if th other do.
And though it in the centre sit,
Yet when the other far doth roam,
It leans, and hearkens after it,
And grows erect, as that comes home.
Such wilt thou be to me, who must
Like th other foot, obliquely run;
Thy firmness makes my circle just,
And makes me end, where I begun.

26 thoughts on “Twin Compasses

  1. I felt like I needed to comment on this tattoo, I just finished an essay on an analysis of this poem in literature. Donne is an awesome poet, and that is a stunning tattoo =]

  2. I felt like I needed to comment on this tattoo, I just finished an essay on an analysis of this poem in literature. Donne is an awesome poet, and that is a stunning tattoo =]

  3. John Donne! Couldnt have picked a better poet!! The Flea is one amazing piece of writing, so sexual, same with this. Never read it before but its obvious. Loves his poetry.
    Cheeky tattoo as well. Hopefully people will appreciate it 😉

  4. John Donne! Couldnt have picked a better poet!! The Flea is one amazing piece of writing, so sexual, same with this. Never read it before but its obvious. Loves his poetry.
    Cheeky tattoo as well. Hopefully people will appreciate it 😉

  5. wow. pant. wow. pant.

    This is something of such stunning beauty that it almost overpowers the complete eroticism of the whole thing. Wow.

  6. wow. pant. wow. pant.

    This is something of such stunning beauty that it almost overpowers the complete eroticism of the whole thing. Wow.

  7. I hate poetry, for many reasons, but particularly because i just don’t understand anything of it. I just hate trying to figure exactly what the author is trying to say. And considering i’m quite the seasoned writer, i’m more like a scientist than a religious person, because its so much mroe straight foward and faster.. just like regular texts and essays and novels are way better than poetry because it just gets right to the point.. i don’t have to read ten lines and then stop and try to figure everything out. Way too homeworky!!

    Having said that, i have no idea what her tattoo means, however i have to say i find the cursive style, placement and swirl background are amazing. As some people have said, this tattoo should not go unnoticed!!

  8. I hate poetry, for many reasons, but particularly because i just don’t understand anything of it. I just hate trying to figure exactly what the author is trying to say. And considering i’m quite the seasoned writer, i’m more like a scientist than a religious person, because its so much mroe straight foward and faster.. just like regular texts and essays and novels are way better than poetry because it just gets right to the point.. i don’t have to read ten lines and then stop and try to figure everything out. Way too homeworky!!

    Having said that, i have no idea what her tattoo means, however i have to say i find the cursive style, placement and swirl background are amazing. As some people have said, this tattoo should not go unnoticed!!

  9. Novels, etc. aren’t better than poetry because they’re more straightforward (and often they aren’t), it doesn’t make poetry bad because you have to think about it a bit harder, it makes you stupid for thinking that though.

  10. Novels, etc. aren’t better than poetry because they’re more straightforward (and often they aren’t), it doesn’t make poetry bad because you have to think about it a bit harder, it makes you stupid for thinking that though.

  11. “bob” – Don’t insult my intelligence. I never said poetry was bad in a sense that’s its a bad thing.. i said its bad IN MY OPINION because i have difficulty reading it. I’m biased, and i’m admitting it, because i write, edit and read novels and short stories and essays.

    So chill, stop being defensive.

  12. “bob” – Don’t insult my intelligence. I never said poetry was bad in a sense that’s its a bad thing.. i said its bad IN MY OPINION because i have difficulty reading it. I’m biased, and i’m admitting it, because i write, edit and read novels and short stories and essays.

    So chill, stop being defensive.

  13. Ahhhh, very nice. As a fan of In The Nursey, the band that turned me on to John Donne’s poetry back in 1994, I find this stunning since I also had the idea to tattoo his poem, ” A Feaver ” on a solid black arm piece. Just happy to see, I am not the only fan of his work, not very many comments left on this work either =)

  14. Ahhhh, very nice. As a fan of In The Nursey, the band that turned me on to John Donne’s poetry back in 1994, I find this stunning since I also had the idea to tattoo his poem, ” A Feaver ” on a solid black arm piece. Just happy to see, I am not the only fan of his work, not very many comments left on this work either =)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *