The Communicative Function of Performative Ekphrasis, the Anagram Riddle and Proverbial Sayings in John Donne’s Poetic Diptych

This essay takes a communication-oriented approach to selected early modern English poetry. It presents textual analysis of John Donne’s elegy The Anagram, related the earlier observations concerning his Comparison, and reveals its multi-generic patterns as well certain thematic structural relations between these poems. thus argues, on textually substantiated grounds, that elegies may be regarded poetic diptych which utilizes features functions various forms communication, associated with literature, visual arts, popular entertainment folk wisdom. argument continued in this is Donne draws 15/16th-century experimental artistic trend recognized particular paintings attributed B. Passarotti Q. Massys appears superimpose text onto provided images. comparative suggests he brings together different reference objects message presupposes addressee’s interaction: cognitive creative processes. By presenting ekphrasis evolving from descriptive performative, indicates need further investigate poetry, by means interdisciplinary tools, for references other arts and, more generally, communicative potential.