Is John Donnes Holy Sonnet XVIII a metaphysical poem?
Absolutely. And you’re right, it does mean that the poem centers on one metaphor. In this case, the metaphor is a little hard to understand unless you’re familiar with the New Testament, in particular Paul’s letter to Ephesus. When Donne talks about “thy Spouse,” he’s talking about the church. A recurring figure in the New Testament is the comparison of Christ to a husband and the church to his bride. At any rate, you can see how the metaphor applies to the Catholic church, the Lutherans, etc. Donne himself was an Anglican priest.
