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Tranquil Tone

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John Donne authored poetry that relied on intelligent allusions and wordplay. He strung together paradoxical ideas that utilized more of a philosophical structure than his counterparts, in some ways making him an outlier in relation to the normative poetry of his time period. Donne’s poetry dealt outside of the physical realm. He conjured biblical allusions in secular poems and often reversed that formula to make secular connections in otherwise religious poems. He used extended metaphors to make unusual literary comparisons, but he did so with acumen. His “holy sonnets” are an excellent example of the multifarious way that Donne crammed his intellectual capacity into verse. In holy sonnet number 14, later titled Batter My Heart, Three-Personed God Donne employs a menacing tone throughout the sonnet, aggressively combining imagery and paradox to describe his anxiety towards his salvation and sinful nature. His poetry is often seen as unmatched in the category he falls into, but a contemporary of his surely gives him a run for his money. On the seemingly opposite spectrum we have a poet who utilizes a tranquil tone in his poetry: George Herbert. Herbert was characteristically different in diction and tone. A friend of Donne, Herbert’s poetry was often full of composure and confidence, in contrast with Donne who seemed to grapple with uncertainty. Although …show more content…

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

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