As if Thou hadst sealed my pardon with Thy blood” ends a poem written by a man torn between an obsession with death and a true understanding of the afterlife. Caught up in man’s oldest paradox, John Donne creatively expresses his reverence for God through poetry in his Holy Sonnet 7: At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners (Donne).
Being raised a devout Pentecostal, I clearly recognize that by bringing together events predicted in the book of Revelations and the power of prayer, Donne evokes in his reader the need to repent for their soul’s sake. The purpose of this paper is to do a topical/historical analysis of John Donne’s Holy Sonnet 7: At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners.
Holy Sonnet 7 was written in London, England sometime in the late 1590’s to early 1600’s, the exact date it was penned remains a mystery. Its publication, dated 1633, reveals it posthumously, so information regarding Donne’s works can only be found in records which vary and even contrast at times. On it’s way to becoming the biggest city in Europe, London’s population was booming. “During this period, the city was the center of a tremendous expansion in trade, colonization, and finance.” “London was also the center of the English cultural Renaissance, particularly in literature, with major figures such as Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, and William Shakespeare” (London, VII, C).
With the turmoil that surrounded the secular sect, many artists were continuously changing the very face of civilization.
The Essay on John Donne Holy Sonnet 2
As a young poet, John Donne often utilized metaphors of spiritual bond in many of his Songs and Sonnets in order to explain fleshly love. Once he renounced Catholicism and converted to the Anglican faith (circa 1597), Donne donned a more devotional style of verse, such as in his Holy Sonnets (circa 1609-1610), finding parallels to divine love in the carnal union. In many ways, however, his love ...
The famous English Renaissance took place between 1580 and 1660 (English Lit., IV, B).
As society “increased in size and prosperity, the populations became more diverse with different social classes that varied in background and power” (Renaissance, IV, B).
The Roman Catholic Church was rapidly declining spurring the growth of “many humanists” who “hoped to reform Christian society by relying on education rather than on religious faith” (Renaissance, VI, B).
Humanism – “the dominant intellectual monument of the Renaissance”, included disciplines such as: “grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry, and ethics”. This “conflicted directly” with the “traditional scholasticism”, which “concentrated on the study of logic, natural philosophy (science), and metaphysics, or the nature of reality” (Renaissance, VII).
Much of the literature written during this era “was the result of a remarkable outburst of energy” (English Lit., VI, B).
Many artistic contributors, including William Shakespeare, continue to affect various aspects of art even today.
Born “to a prosperous Roman Catholic family”, “when anti-Catholic sentiment was rife in England” (Jokinen, 1), John Donne experienced a varied religious upbringing. “His Catholic birth and training implanted a preoccupation with the metaphysical, while his passionate mature ensured that” “questions would be subjected to searching examination” (Hill, 33).
Historic accounts of Donne’s life in London report two possible periods during which it is assumed that many of his Holy Sonnets, including #7, emerged. The first, when “Donne began to question his faith” (Jokinen, 2) between 1593 – 1596, just after his brother died in prison (there for harboring a Catholic priest).
The second, just after the death of his wife (Anne) in 1617 (during the birth of their 12th child) (Jokinen, 7).
“Donne’s poetry is a confrontation, or struggle, to find a place in this world”, “his exploration for an identity and salvation” (Doyle, 1).
Holy Sonnet 7 contains events forecasted in the book of Revelations mixed with potent prayer. As with many of his Sonnets, Donne combines “a great sense of sinfulness with an effortful spirituality based on fear” (Benet, 16).
But let them sleep, Lord, and me mourn a space;
The Essay on John Sonnet Holy Sonnets
The Holy Sonnets By making many references to the Bible, John Donne's Holy Sonnets reveal his want to be accepted and forgiven by God. A fear of death without God's forgiveness of sins is conveyed in these sonnets. Donne expresses extreme anxiety and fright that Satan has taken over his soul and God won't forgive him for it or his sins. A central theme of healing and forgiveness imply that John ...
For, if above all these my sins abound,
‘Tis late to ask abundance of Thy grace,
When we are there. Here on this lowly ground,
Teach me how to repent, for that’s as good
As if Thou hadst seal’d my pardon with Thy blood.
This “powerful poem” responds “directly to the Pauline injunction to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Benet, 26).
With a keen understanding of the after life, Donne reminds readers of the great power of, and need for repentance.
Donne’s career seems to have followed his life events. Written at a time of great sadness, over either the death of his brother and/or his wife, The Holy Sonnets “no doubt express Donne’s private, psychological, religious, and moral struggles” (Benet, 16).
These writings obviously indicate “a circumstantial spirituality created by external events and capable mostly of showing the poet the desirability of changing his life” (Benet, 23).
The exact dates of most Holy Sonnets are unknown. It is known however, that “Holy Sonnet 17: Since She Whom I Lov’d Hath Paid Her Last Debt” was penned immediately following Anne’s death (Jokinen, 7).
This Sonnet shows Donne seeking a fuller relationship with God, a change in his life and writings.
This topical/historical analysis of John Donne’s Holy Sonnet 7: At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners looks at: when and where it was produced, the culture of the region in which it was produced, the major circumstances that produced it, the major issues it deals with and how it fits into Donne’s career. Though I’ve never been a “poet”, I feel I can relate to Donne’s Holy Sonnet 7. Raised in a strict Pentecostal family, my faith in God is strongly grounded. As I got older however, my need for personal restraints lessened and the many “rules” attached to the Pentecostal religion became overwhelmingly restrictive. I struggled for a time with letting go of the fear that had held me for so long, all the while feeling like a sinner doomed to hell. I did let go however, and proceeded to move on with my life. Still, from time to time, that nagging conscious embedded deep in my memory jumps out at me reminding me to pray and repent “for that’s as good / As if Thou hadst sealed my pardon with Thy blood”. In this time of turbulence and confusion when terrorism is at our back door, we all need to remember, that whatever your religion, now is the time to get yourself right and be ready for eternity. “No man knows what tomorrow may hold” (Unknown).
The Essay on John Donne Holly Sonnet X Analysis
Death, commonly viewed as an all-powerful force against life, is otherwise described in John Donnes Holy Sonnet 10. As found in any English Sonnet, there is a rhyme scheme and a standard meter. Although the standard meter is iambic pentameter, as in most English Sonnets, the rhyme scheme differs a little from the usual, consisting of ABBA ABBA CDDC AE. Sonnets convey various thoughts and feelings ...
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