John Donne's The Holy Sonnets Essay

Donne conveys how religion is a central idea through the use of many religious references throughout the holy sonnets. In ‘Death Be Not Proud’, Donne makes a religious reference to Jesus, ‘Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee’, expressing how religion was an underlying theme when handling many issues. When the two texts are studied in alliance, it allows the responder to draw a better understanding of the themes presented in ‘W;t’. This theme, science VS religion, has been emphasised due to the contrasts between Vivian and Donne and their context.

The first half of the sonnet starts with Judas’s intention to suicide:” When I went out to kill myself, I caught/ A pack of hoodlums beating

John Donne’s diction, detail, point of view, metaphysical format, and tone used in “Holy Sonnet 10” convey both a feeling of cynical and domination, and also a sense of mockery of death. The effects on the reader include assurance and confidence in facing death.

Another interesting use of diction is, "the eye of heaven," in line 5. The use of the word eye implies that someone is watching down from heaven. Instead of using the word sun, Shakespeare chose a more dramatic term. By using the biblical term, he is saying that the worlds view of heaven through the sun is still nothing compared to the subject of the poem; expressing to the reader just how magnificent this young man, truly is. A different use of diction in this sonnet is in line 7, "fair from fair." It is interesting that he chose to use the same word twice, especially since there are multiple connotations of the word. It could mean that he is good looking, he has been treated justly, he could be delighted to see someone or even simply that

The controversy over the interpretation of the sonnet is localised in the last line. “Milton consciously wants to worry his reader, to force him to doubt the correctness of his responses, and bring him to the realization that his inability to read the poem with any confidence in his own perception is its focus” Barton uses biblical passages to point out the ironic contradictions throughout Milton’s work and interprets the poem as drawing comparisons between angels and men,

Through the violent act of raping him (14) as well as battering his heart (1) he wants God to temporarily break his divine nature and embody the sinful nature that Donne couldn’t escape; absolving Donne in the aggressive way he felt he deserved. Donne exclaims his frustration and he puzzles at life and his relationship with God in a philosophical way, asking more questions than answering. The sonnet opens with these lines that accentuate the forceful language that Donne

Donne reflects on there being a God and heaven being the end goal for humanity. Through his writing it is inferred that all troubles impact everyone

John Donne's 'Holy Sonnet 2' is primarily written in the traditional Petrarchan sonnet form. One way in which Donne applies this traditional form is through the use of an octave, in which the narrator establishes a problem that causes anxiety and personal turmoil. The octave is then followed by a sestet, where the narrator attempts to organise and present a solution to the issue given in the octave, or there is a change of tone in the narrator's voice. "Wisheth that still he might be imprisoned; / Yet grace…" [1] Although there is a change in tone with the narrative voice, Donne's use of punctuation and enjambement between lines eight and nine suggests that Donne does not rigorously adhere to the traditional Petrarchan form, as the poem becomes detached from this tradition and increases the narrator's conflict and feeling of entrapment and suppression. This, in turn, might indicate that the narrator has no solution for his "black soul" [2] and reflects the narrator's anxiety and fear about not being able to repent, or, at least, not being able to repent in the way which would correspond to the narrator's personal religious beliefs. Anne Coles Kimberly argues that the "Calvinist doctrine held that man is resistant to God (due to sin), but that God will draw his elect to him. Donne, however, is not always convinced that the offer of salvation through grace will act irresistibly upon him." [3] The conflicting feelings about grace and what possible salvation it can offer are

Donne begins his fifth Holy Sonnet by utilizing a strong literary tool: a metaphor. He compares himself to the Earth saying, “I am a little world made cunningly / Of elements and an angelic sprite” (Donne 1-2). Donne states that he is “a little world made cunningly”, implying that he is whole, he is complete like the world is full. The word cunningly is intentional as it also means artfully, just in the same way God is often described as he made us and all creatures. The following line he describes his creation further, stating that he is made “of elements”. This is to say that he is made up of all things, as elements are just pieces which together form a greater whole. Amongst his elements is also something of another kind, “an angelic spirit”. This angelic spirit describes the part of him that reflects his creation by God, his strong faith to his faith, and fills his body with life, a soul. This is a strong parallel to a famous story of the Holy Book of Donne’s faith: The

." In essence, Donne is telling death that it has no basis for bragging and being "proud," because it is not the ominous, frightening force it would make itself out to be. The speaker's tone is almost belittling; his purpose is to cut arrogant death down to size. n order to convey his message, Donne relies heavily on personification, specifically the personification of death. Throughout the entirety of the sonnet, death is spoken to as though it were a person.

In “Holy Sonnet 14” by John Donne, dramatizes the conflict between contradictions and a relationship with God.

The ending couplet sums up the main idea of the sonnet. It continues with the image of eternity and the memory of the addressee. When Shakespeare writes “So, till the judgment that yourself arise / you live in this and dwell in lovers eyes” there is still an emphasis on the word of the poem itself.

To begin with, the speaker in “Sonnet 29” speaks of tragedies in his life and the lack

John Donne was an English Poet, Priest and outsider. He was born into a devout catholic family in 1572 in London, however, he did not stay true to his families Catholic beliefs. Donne grew up as a catholic in a rough period in England when the anti-Roman period was reaching new heights. This of course caused problems for him until the 1590's when he returned to London from his studies abroad in Theological issues and converted to the English church. During these early days of his life, Donne converted because his brother was imprisoned for being Catholic and later died in prison. With Donne now in the English Church writing he soon became the secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton, Lord Keeper of the great seal. While for many this would prove to be the beginning of a great career, it would soon end. This was because he secretly married the teen niece of Egerton, Ann More, in 1601. He was then forced to move away to the countryside living in a poverty stricken lifestyle. Although having twelve kids and living in poverty seems horrible, Donne still thrived in his poetry. According to Wendy Smith, “ Poetry written during those years limns an ecstatic physical and emotional union with an intelligent, passionate companion. Perhaps this blissful society of two was the home Donne had been looking for” (7). However, his wife died and his poetry took another unexpected turn, as it became more dark and not as full of love. As the years went on Donne slowly began to get sick more

The central theme, introduced quite early within the poem, is the helplessness of death. Throughout the poem the speaker belittles death and approaches it with such bravery and poise. Donne confronts death by saying it is not in any regard “mighty and dreadful” (2), but rather brings “much pleasure” (7). Death is personified in the poem, and in this regard, possess no greater power over man. The speaker of the poem is Donne himself. He uses his literary tools of rhetoric and poetic devices to belittle death. Throughout the poem, the speaker comes across as being slightly arrogant, but he refuses to show weakness. His arrogance shows that he is not afraid of death as he demands death not to be proud. Donne takes the association of death and sleep, and reinvents this comparison to a greater effect. He describes sleep as being “pictures” (5) of death and death is no more different or more frightening. He extends this metaphor throughout the poem. In the second last line of the poem he