Final answer:
The line from John Donne's "A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy's Day" suggests emotional resilience in response to loss and absence, as it metaphorically compares the soul to a lifeless body, indicating an inward strength built through suffering.
Step-by-step explanation:
In John Donne's poem "A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy's Day," the line "Often absences withdrew our souls, and made us carcasses" reflects a spiritual and emotional state of the speaker. This line suggests a form of emotional resilience that emerges from experiences of loss and separation. The repeated absences or separations indicated in the line are implied to have a profound effect on the souls of the individuals, likening them metaphorically to carcasses, which are lifeless bodies. The essence of the line is the enduring pain of separation that hollows out the emotional and spiritual vitality of a person, leaving behind a shell, devoid of life but still enduring.
The poem as a whole often deals with themes of death, loss, and the dark void left by absence, carrying a weight of sorrow and resilience against despair. Rather than signaling a physical transformation or intellectual enlightenment, the poet emphasizes the emotional toll and the necessary resilience to withstand such pain, pointing towards an inner, emotional strength built through hardship.