In his religious verse John Donne (1572-1631) used the same techniques he had developed in his love poetry. In this article I shall examine two of his religious poems, 'Holy Sonnet (Batter my Heart)', and 'A Hymn to God the Father.'
Both poems are religious, in both the poet addresses himself directly to God, and in both the address is colloquial in style. The difference is in the type of feeling expressed by the poet. 'Batter my Heart' is a desperate plea for God to make his presence felt. 'A Hymn to God the Father' is a calm, serene, hymn requesting forgiveness.
Characteristically of Donne, 'Batter my Heart' opens with a dramatic exclamation:
'Batter my heart, three person'd God'
The force of this opening is maintained throughout the poem. The rhythm is an insistent hammering and the images are nearly all of violent action. The explosive 'B' of the opening word is continued in the alliteration of lines 3 and 4: . . . bend . . . break, blow, burn . . .
The poem is written in the imperative tense. Donne is begging for action to be done against himself, thus implying the superiority of God and maximising the intensity of the plea.
The main idea behind the poem is Donne's struggle to be at one with God. He depicts the bonds preventing him from doing God's will through images of war, sex, and marriage.
I, like an usurpt towne . . .
Reason, your viceroy in mee, mee should defend . . .
But is captived . . .
I . . . am betroth'd unto your enemie
Divorce mee . . .
Donne's imagery conveys the idea that the forces which bind him are not only very powerful but also deeply personal. To be 'betroth'd' to the devil implies a deep involvement. He pleads with God to apply his will with the same dual qualities - intense and personal. He wants to experience God's presence with the intensity of 'break, blow, burn' and with the personal involvement implied by 'imprison', 'enthrall', and 'ravish'.
. . . imprison me, for I
Except you 'enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chast, except you ravish mee.
These lines contain characteristic Donne conceits; he cannot be free until he is imprisoned, or chaste until he is ravished.
'A Hymn to God the Father' is a peaceful poem, with a free-flowing regular rhythm which reflects the easy acceptance of God's will and which, as a hymn, would make it easy for the congregation to sing. The rhythm is repeated throughout the three verses. Words and phrases are also repeated, emphasising the singleness of purpose behind the words. For example the phrase 'wilt thou forgive' occurs four times in the first two verses.
The argument contains a characteristic Donne conceit, in:
When thou hast done, thou hast not done.
This line also contains a pun on 'done' / 'Donne', both the conceit and the pun conveying humility. Another pun occurs in verse three with 'sun' / 'son'. These devices add a characteristic touch of wit to the work.
Despite the personal reference in the pun on 'Donne', and despite also being written as a first-person address, this poem is not so personal as 'Batter my Heart'. Where 'Batter my Heart' expresses a complex agonising personal struggle, 'A Hymn to God the Father' expresses a simpler universal notion which all Christians can share, a quality essential for a hymn.
There is Metaphysical logic in 'A Hymn to God the Father' in the repeated line:
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
For I have more.
Unlike the arguments in most Metaphysical poetry the motive behind the words is not persuasion but confession, but the logic is brought to a conclusion in the final verse with:
And, having done that, Thou hast done,
I have no more.
This conclusion represents the ultimate state every Christian wants to achieve, peace and forgiveness after death, and should serve as inspiration to the congregation singing the hymn.
By: Ian Mackean
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Ian Mackean runs English Literature Resources & Essays, (where his site on Short Story Writing can also be found), and Books Made Into Movies.com. He is editor of 'The Essentials of Literature in English post-1914'. He is also a keen amateur photographer and has made a site of his photography at Photo-zen.com photography
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