The Apparition-John Donne

"The Apparition" develops an atmosphere of warning, desertion, and vengeance.  Donne combines these three tones to convey the speaker's message to his past love.  Primarily, the entire poem is a notification that he is coming back to haunt her.  In the final two lines, he advises her to repent despite the fact that doing so will cause her pain.  Like the woman in the poem deserted the speaker, so will her current lover.  The speaker claimed he will ignore her and not protect her against the speaker's wrath.  The speaker also slyly insults her by claiming she is in "worse arms."  While the first thirteen lines create a background story, the final four lines create the overarching tone of revenge.  "What I will say, I will not tell thee now, Lest that preserve thee; and since my love is spent, I had rather though shouldst painfully repent, than by my threatenings rest still innocent" (Donne, 890).  The speaker blamed the woman for his death ("O murderess") and notified her that she will regret her decision, whatever that decision was.