Tranquil Tone

He highlights this through a shift in tone and object of focus, now questioning himself and establishing a tone humility and humbleness. The line “But who am I, that dare dispute with Thee?” ( 9) encapsulates this moment of recognition and plays a parallel role to that a soliloquy takes in drama or theatre. When compared to his superior tone earlier in the sonnet he belittles himself as he recognizes his own audacity to question the motivations of God. Donne’s anagnorisis reveals the one path to salvation through God's mercy and the blood of Jesus alone.

Bailey Dennard Ms. Heard AP Language 27 Jan. 2016 Analysis of a Poem: “Holy Sonnet X” by John Donne “Holy Sonnet X”, written by John Donne, directly pertains to Death. Throughout the poem, he ridicules Death to a point where the reader would begin to question their own belief on the inevitable event. The speaker has an in depth conversation with Death, bringing out the uselessness of the unfortunate event. In the poem, Donne uses a serious tone and figurative language to display the unnecessary need to fear Death.

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 speaker seems to be someone who may be arrogant, witty, religious, and educated. The listener in this sonnet is Death. Donne compares the perceived power of death with the actual power of other things in reality. The speaker tells Death, “Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men…” (9).

Contemporary literary theory has thoroughly debunked the traditional view of the artist as a divinely inspired, completely original and creative individual. This view has been replaced with the more apt view of the author as a product of his or her environment and the existing discourses of the society in which he or she lives. In this new attitude toward the writer as a product of society, the author is considered, according to Dr. James E. Porter, as somewhat of a quiltmaker who takes various traces of the existing cultural intertext (the collected writing and debate of a society) and combines them in new ways to create new discourse (34). Differences in these new discourses of various

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.

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

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

In his first quatrain, Donne approaches “Death” as if it was standing in front of him. In a defiant tone, he tells him “Death be not be proud…” (1). He builds his defiance by telling “Death” that, in spite of what others may have told him, he isn’t “mighty” (2) or “dreadful” (2). The sarcasm climaxes as Donne tells “Death” the reality that those whom he thinks he has slain really aren’t dead, nor can “Death” slay this

George Herbert (1593 - 1633), born later than John Donne (1572 - 1631), largely followed Donne’s poetic style, however incorporating slight changes: the diction that is evident in Herbert’s poetry is much simpler than Donne’s diction, and the metaphors are also easier to comprehend. What both have in common, is the colloquial manner, the logic arrangement of the poems argument and therefore the persuasive nature of the poetry. In Donne’s poetry, this logical arrangement

His works are remembered for their strong, voluptuous style in his many sonnets, love poems, religious poems, satires and sermons. Donne’s is noted for in his poetry for the vibrancy of language and inventiveness of the metaphors. He became a Member of Parliament for in 1602. He wrote poems for wealthy friends or patrons, one being Sir Robert Drury, the two of them became very close. He wrote the two Anniversaries, An Anatomy of the World and Of the Progress of the Soul, for Robert Drury.

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 Donne, however much he wrote about God and being holy, wasn't such a holy man all of the time and tried to make up for it in his writing.

In “Valediction Forbidding Mourning,” the third stanza (lines 9-12) compares the married lovers separation to an earthquake. The idea brings panic and fear to mind and is thought to be catastrophic. Donne then says “Though greater far, is innocent.” (line 12), meaning that while the thought seemed so devastating, in reality it is just an innocent small rumble, or “bump in the road,” that doesn’t have damaging lasting effects. In “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” the sunset is an important metaphor.

Metaphysical poets use startling juxtapositions in their poetry to create a greater significance in their arguments and intended meanings throughout the poem. John Donne is said to be the unsurpassed metaphysical poet, metaphysical poetry being poetry relating to a group of 17-century English poets whose verse is typified by an intellectually arduous style, admitting extended metaphors and comparing very disparate things. In 17th century England new discoveries were being made and social customs such as men being the dominant over women still applied. Through Donne’s poetry we can see that he is goaded and confused by the new discoveries and the social customs avert him from reaching his desires. This is incalculably recognized in his

I shall now talk about how religion relates to Donne’s poetry. His life passed during a major change of religion in England the king wanted all control of the church so he could divorce his wife, he declared himself head of the Church of England. My first poem that relates to religion is ‘The Flea’ in this poem Donne is trying to convince a woman to sleep with him by using religion to sanctify him sleeping with her for example when he says ‘Where we almost, nay more, than married are…our marriage bed, and marriage temple is[2]’, he makes the bed seem holy and that g-d wants them to sleep together this may of reassured her as it connects g-d and the church together to make everything alright and holy . This poem proves that Donne is a very