Transitivity and the Construction of Skepticism in Song: Go and Catch a Falling Star by John Donne

Abstract

The study analyzes transitivity choices in John Donne's poem “Song: Goe, and Catche a Falling Star” to show how grammatical structure is utilized in building the poem's theme of skepticism and disillusionment. While the poem is generally interpreted in terms of its witty imagery and sarcastic tone, this research discusses how the different sense is created at the clause level through the distribution of process types, participants, and circumstances. Based on Halliday and Matthiessen’s (2014) system of transitivity and adopting a qualitative approach, this research uncovers how language choices contribute to meaning in literature. The analysis reveals that material processes are salient in the initial stanzas with connotations of purposeful action but are ironically paired with impossible tasks, thereby eliminating the possibility of meaningful achievement. In contrast to this, the final stanza resorts to relational processes, which give existence judgments, such as the non-existence of faithful women. Verbal and mental processes similarly signal the failure of the speaker to understand or communicate truth. The participants are rather abstract and generic which ensures the universality of the speaker's disillusionment. Circumstances exaggerate time, space, and extent for the purpose of heightening futility. The study shows that Donne's skeptical view of the universe is expressed not only thematically but also lexically, highlighting the role of a transitivity in literary works.