Cristina Yang Approves This Twisty Reading

From "To His Mistress Going to Bed" by John Donne

Like pictures, or like books gay coverings made
For laymen, are all women thus array'd.
Themselves are only mystic books, which we
--Whom their imputed grace will dignify--
Must see reveal'd. Then, since that I may know,
As liberally as to thy midwife show
Thyself; cast all, yea, this white linen hence;
There is no penance due to innocence:
To teach thee, I am naked first; why then,
What needst thou have more covering than a man?
(lines 39-48)

Donne is a man with many verbal charms at his disposal, this poem is an excellent example. After multiple explicit references to the lover's body, the poem takes a small breather on the key up sexuality. Instead of focusing on specific body parts or clothing concealing said parts, the poem shifts to appeal. Sure, there's the /women thus array'd/ (40) like open books, but the comparison to a book is less raunchy than the /hairy diadem/ (16) mentioned earlier. Saying a lover is a /mystic book/ (41) brings depth to them, it shows a bit of recognition by the speaker of the poem that this lover is more than just a sexual object. They are a lesson to be learned, something to be studied, practiced and understood. That is more steamy than any old run of the mill strip tease. To be familiar with a women /as liberally as to thy midwife/ (44) brings a sense of vulnerability. Midwives are there through what is arguable the most painful and difficult experiences of a women's life, for a lover to want to be as well versed in those means shows some dedication.

The final lines take a turn for the icky, but for the sake of wrapping this up I'm going to dive into a twisty acceptance of what is being said (this is a disclaimer fyi, I am specifically reading into this for personal reasons that require the use of the gif featured). Keeping in mind the idea of a women/lover as a book the line, /What needst thou have more covering than a man?/ (48) can be taken to mean a man as a book cover. A book cover can be removed, it only compliments the contents within. Its main purpose is to protect the book from damage. Read this way, it comes off pretty sweet.

Alright, now to make good on that disclaimer:
I have to admit that if any man had ever compared me to a "mystic book" I would have been into it. Admit to me that I could slip the dust jacket off at my own will to show that I was self reliant and only choose protection? Into it. As Cristina Yang said, "If you want to appease me, compliment my brain!"