Analysis of John Donne’s Holy Sonnets
(Thou hast made me, shall thy work
decay?)
John Donne’s
poem “Thou hast made me, shall thy work decay?” is a perfect example of a
Petrarchan sonnet. This sonnet contains fourteen lines and it can be divided
into two parts. The first part contains eight lines called octave which present
the speaker’s problem of constant temptation by the sins. The second part
called the sestet containing six lines and provides God’s attraction as a final
solution to the poet’s problem.
Lines 1-4 (Quatrain)
Thou hast made me, shall thy work
decay?
Repair me now, for now mine end
doth haste,
I run to death, and death meets me
as fast,
And all my pleasures are like
yesterday;
Donne opens his poem with a
question and direct addressing to God that, Is this creation (body of the poet)
made up for decay? The poet is worried about it. He feels like his life is
falling apart. The poet knows the capability of God to repair and requests Him
to repair him. He seems quicker because he does not want to live anymore.
Donne’s speaker states that he is running towards death, and it is coming
“fast” to “meet” him. He understands that all his past was sin like the
pleasure of yesterday. Such running of death towards the poet is horrible.
Lines 5-8 (Second Quatrain)
I dare not move my dim eyes any
way,
Despair behind, and death before
doth cast,
Such terror, and my feebled flesh
doth waste,
By sin in it, which it towards hell
doth weigh.
In the second quatrain, the poet
describes his usual fears that I am unable to move because I just remembering
my past bad deeds. He is going to see such terrors because death is coming fast
that reminds him of all the deeds. His flesh becomes weak from sin. He has done
many sins in the past and now he is terrified that sins will carry strict
punishment upon him in hell but he still feels the need to confess and seek
forgiveness and reparations from his Divine Beloved.
9-12
(Third Quatrain)
Only thou art above, and when
towards thee,
By thy leave I can look, I rise
again,
But our old subtle foe so tempteth
me,
That not one hour I can myself
sustain.
In these lines, the poet is
optimistic and deems God as the only source of his courage to rise up. The poet
expresses his deep sentiments to God and says; when I see towards You I get
courage and hope. He positions the Creator "above" and suggests that
only toward the Divine can be safely cast his glances. The poet describes his
weakness by saying that he does not focus on divinity even for only one hour
because his old enemy Satan always deceives and tempts him.
Lines 13-14 (Couplet)
Thy grace may wing me to prevent
his art,
And thou like adamant draw mine
iron heart.
The poet once again stresses that God is only his source and He can support him, wing him and repair him. He knows that only God has this capability. He is always in a state of confusion. His open enemy Satan follows him to betray. The last line is a perfect example of metaphysical because the poet used conceit. God is like metal to the speaker’s iron heart. He requested to God that attracts his heart like a magnet attracts iron. He is optimistic about God’s grace.
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