Holy Sonnet 7 - A historical/T
"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, par
Though I've never been a "poet", I feel I can relate to Donne's Holy Sonnet 7. 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). Born "to a prosperous Roman Catholic family", "when anti-Catholic sentiment was rife in England" (Jokinen, 1), John Donne experienced a varied religious upbringing. Humanism - "the dominant intellectual monument of the Renaissance", included disciplines such as: "grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry, and ethics". 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). Many artistic contributors, including William Shakespeare, continue to affect various aspects of art even today. With a keen understanding of the after life, Donne reminds readers of the great power of, and need for repentance. 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. As I got older however, my need for personal restraints lessened and the many "rules" attached to the Pentecostal religion became overwhelmingly restrictive. This "powerful poem" responds "directly to the Pauline injunction to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Benet, 26). With the turmoil that surrounded the secular sect, many artists were continuously changing the very face of civilization. Much of the literature written during this era "was the result of a remarkable outburst of energy" (English Lit. But let them sleep, Lord, and me mourn a space; For, if above all these my sins abound,'Tis late to ask abundance of Thy grace,When we are there. 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).
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