That which Cannot be Said: My Flesh and the Face of the Other in the Poetry of John Donne

The article offers an analysis of selected poems of John Donne, viewed through the prism of traditional theological thought (the works of Hans von Balthasar) and current philosophical debates. In particular, the author draws upon the works of Jean-Luc Marion and Richard Kearney who take up the task of scrutinizing the heritage of phenomenological thought. Both thinkers address the questions arising from philosophy’s renewed interest in religion initiated in twentieth-century post-phenomenology. The analysis concentrates on bodily pain and love ecstasies as the modalities of human flesh. The author of the paper adapts for the purposes of literary criticism Jean-Luc Marion’s concept of a “saturated phenomenon” which surprises and bedazzles the perceiving subject by overflowing his or her intention at the moment of its unexpected arrival. The aim of the article is to highlight the religious and philosophical potential of Metaphysical Poetry.