Donne employed an inquiring even a perplexed-sounding tone to his poem to imply a sense of injustice within the Creator. This sense of injustice revolved around subjecting animals, who are “simple, and further from corruption” and more powerful, for the convenience of man, who is corrupt and is “worse than” the animals: “Why are wee by all creatures waited on? ... Why brook’st thou, ignorant horse, subjection” With the inquiring tone, Donne attempted to reveal the Creator to be someone prejudiced, where he is previously believed to be all just and fair. Donne implied an idea of favouritism in the last few lines of the stanza: “You have not sinn’d, nor need to be timorous ... For us, his Creatures, and his foes, hath dyed.” In these lines, Donne alluded to the dying of Jesus on the Cross, suggesting that the Creator died only for humans and not for the other animals. Donne perceived this act to be unfair as humans have sinned greatly, whereas animals are more pure and have not sinned. He also alludes to the fact that the Creator had created animals and other elements of nature solely for human’s use: “Why doe the prodigal elements supply...”. This action of alluding to the Creator in a rather indignant manner, questioning the Creator’s motives, is recurring through many of Donne’s poems, such as in The Flea. Throughout the poem, Donne continually diminishes the human race to be corrupt and sinful, comparing this nature with the pure, uncorrupted and simple nature of the animals and other elements of creation. By incorporating the questioning tone, readers may be more convinced of the “prejudiced” motives of the Creator, that He may not appear as just as he is said to be.
The poem also explored the relationship of the Creator, sin and all the other creations through the rhyming scheme of the poem. Contrary to popular belief, Donne presented the Creator to have no correlations with sin and creations, implying that the Creator is simply a distant being. This idea was revealed in the rhyming couplet at the end of the poem: “But their Creator, whom sin, nor nature tyed, / For us, his Creatures, and his foes, hath dyed.” The rhyming couplet portrayed the Creator to have no ties with sin or nature, thus why He died for humankind. The final couplet also answers several questions and result in more ideas regarding creation and human’s relationship with the Creator: these questions include the reasoning to human dominancy and the concept of original sin, and again, favouritism. As the final couplet suggests that the Creator is distant to all other elements and creations but humankind, it also suggests that God is closer to humankind, having died to save them from their sins, thus why they appear as dominant. It also suggests that animals and other elements were created for the benefit and convenience of the human race. The concept of original sin is proposed throughout the poem at the moments Donne implied the corruption and sinning of humankind: “...being more pure than I, / Simple and further from corruption ... weaker I am, woe is mee, and worse than you / You have not sinn’d”. The concept is also implied through the querying tone and repetitive use of “why”, as Donne questioned why the Creator died for humankind, who have greatly sinned since the beginning, but subjugated animals, who are pure and not corrupt, and other resources to man’s convenience. Favouritism is also implied in the final lines as it appears that the Creator had only died for one of his Creations and not all: “For us, his Creatures, and his foes, hath dyed”. This final lines, particularly in the use of the collective word “us”, the human supremacy and separation of humans from animals become evident. As Donne used the word “us” to refer solely to humankind, it creates a sense of distance from the animals, as if the other elements were not a part of God’s creations and that humans were the Creator’s only “creatures”.
The central idea of the poem, animal subjection to humans, was explored through the questioning tone but also the metaphors employed throughout the poem. In the opening line of the poem, Donne clearly presented the idea of human supremacy, stating that it is humans who are “waited on” by all other creatures, through his question. This idea of supremacy is further emphasised in the next question, “Why doe the prodigal elements supply / Life and food to mee, being more pure than I, / Simply and further from corruption?”. In this questions, it is implied that creatures seemed to have been created to prodigally supply humankind with life and food, despite humankind being closer to corruption than the animals. Through this next question, Donne creates the idea of animal constraint and the animal’s inferior nature. In the next lines, Donne implies of the stealth and strength of the animals compared to the humans, “Why brook’st thou, ignorant horse, subjection? / Why dost thou bull, and bore so seelily / Dissemble weaknesse, and by one mans stroke die, whose whole kinde you might swallow and feed upon?” The particular use of “ignorant horse” presents two meanings: the first is the literal meaning, a description of a horse as being ignorant, oblivious of man’s power over them, while the second meaning may be metaphorical. The word “horse” may refer to human race and the ignorance may be stemmed from the fact that humans believe themselves to be superior over all other creations, where in truth, they are actually weaker. In the questions presented in the poem up to this point, despite their subjects being human supremacy and animal inferiority, Donne throughout implied the better power and nature of the animals: he portrayed the strength of the animals but also presented their sinless and pure nature. By portraying animals in this light, Donne attempts for his readers to view animals as not a race inferior to humans but as a race mightier and stronger than humans. This implication may stem from Donne’s belief that it is more correct for the animals to dominate humans as humans have sinn’d and are corrupted, and therefore are not deserving of all the “prodigal elements” supplied by the other creations. By presenting the human race to be unjustly dominant, and as the animals and other elements enslaved to humans, Donne attempted to evoke a piteous feeling towards the animals from readers. Through the questioning tone and metaphors employed throughout the poem, Donne revealed that man is not as superior as first deemed and that animals are actually more stronger than what is perceived, therefore man should not be subjecting the animals and other creations for their benefit and use.
Donne employed a combination of language devices such as conceit, tone, rhyme scheme and metaphors throughout the poem to explore the concept of creation and human supremacy over animals as well as the original sin and the Creator’s relationship with sin, nature and humankind. Through the inquiring tone of the poem, Donne attempted to understand the motives of the Creator, but also convince the readers of the unjust nature of the Creator.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
John Donne is made up of various writing such as strong/sensual style, love poems, religious poems and latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires, and sermons. John was an author who was very passionate, yet had difficulty expressing and “to prove that glorified bodies in heaven are essentially identical to the bodies possessed on earth” as stated by Professor Ramie Targoff. Donne believes that the union of body and soul is what “makes up the man.” In Targoff’s writing, she is describing John as a very religious human being who aspires to go to heaven and be holy on earth and the afterlife. Ramie explains and describes Donne’s themes for his books, and what he wrote from a different aspect. As stated in the last paragraph of the book review, “Professor Targoff in this book succeeds in her tight and clear focus on a central topic, overt and implied, throughout Donne’s work. Her support for her arguments is generally quite convincing....” However, John’s work mostly consists of the bond between body and soul. He wrote a book taking the title of “Holy Sonnets” which did not consist of his usual writings. The book's content concludes of nineteen poems which were not published until two years after his death, in 1633. “The poems are characterized by innovative rhythm and imagery and constitute a forceful, immediate, personal, and passionate examination of Donne’s love for God, depicting his doubts,…
- 701 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
A text is essentially a product of its context, as its prevailing values are inherently derived by the author from society. However, the emergence of post-modern theories allows for audience interpretation, thus it must be recognised that meaning in texts can be shaped and reshaped. Significantly, this may occur as connections between texts are explored. These notions are reflected in the compostion of Edson’s W;t and Donne’s poetry as their relationship is established through intertextual references, corresponding values and ideas and the use of language features. Edson particularly portrays key values surrounding the notions of the importance of loved based relationships, and death and resurrection: central themes of Donne’s Holy Sonnets and Divine Poems. The purpose of these authors distinctly correlate as each has attempted to provide fresh insight into the human condition by challenging prevalent ideals. Thus, Edson incorporates Donne’s work to illuminate both explicit and implicit themes, creating an undeniable condition.…
- 940 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Before Donne changed to his Protestant Christian faith in 1601 he believed that the meaning of life was through love. Donne ignores the reality of love and instead writes about what is outside reality, the metaphysical. In 1601 Donne secretly married a young seventeen-year-old girl by the name of Anne More. Donne wrote about how the love between him and his wife would go past this life and travel with them to the afterlife. After her death, Donne wrote “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” which describes his undying love for her. Donne made sure that his audience understood the significance of relationships, through the self-importance of "twin compasses"," thy soul, the fix'd foot", "making my circle perfect". The 17th century context is reflected in the representation of circular perfection which lifts the status of relationships. The purity of this love is also emphasised by the use of theological reference within “The Relique” with the mention of “the last busy day” and “Mary Magdelen”. As a result it is through Donne’s contextual connections within “The Relique” and “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” that one’s understanding of his poems can be developed along with the recurring theme of love.…
- 786 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”…
- 461 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Donne’s poetry attempt to answer the mere impossible questions of life, death and love in eccentric and unexpected chains of reasoning, his complex figure of speech, elaborate imagery and bizarre metaphors creates a sense of vibrancy for the reader as they become enthralled in the emotions and meanings behind his poems.…
- 582 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Donne’s concept was that those in the same belief are intertwined, or connected to each other and later in his text he begins to place this concept in his village to give a broader acuity.…
- 786 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
As with many poets in the Renaissance area Donne was obsessed death. He was intrigued by the mystery of death and, due to his Catholic upbringing and his own Christian values, was convinced of the existence of an afterlife. What Donne struggles with within these Holy Sonnets is how he can settle on a particular view on the subject. One of the Holy Sonnets, “Death Be Not Proud”, presents Donne’s inner conflict. In this particular poem John Donne states that death is something that should not be feared but conquered, due to the faith he has in the presence of an afterlife. Through the personification of death in the first two lines, “Death be not proud, though some have called thee/Mighty and dreadful”, death is given a personality, an identity. It is due to this literary technique that Donne can put an emphasis on the idea that Christians have victory over death, and the promise of eternal life. That it is in this afterlife that death, no matter how “Mighty” or “dreadful” will have no hold over them. Donne is able to directly address death, and speak his mind in a way in which is normally restricted to person-to-person communication. During the 17th Century mortality was a big issue in society with the average woman giving birth to between 8-10 children.…
- 1571 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
Donne’s poems are interesting in the way they often present an ongoing thought process, rather than a story with a distinct beginning and end. Donne being from the literary culture; many of his poems reflect this mid-way change of heart, as he is comfortable dealing in ongoing reflection and experience, rather than static facts. One of Donne’s love poems, ‘The Sunne Rising’ centres around Donne, in bed with his lover, annoyed at the sun for disturbing their slumber. “Busie old foole, unruly Sunne” he writes. Donne, in personifying the sun, and describing such a thing in paradox (“unruly sun”), supports the idea that literary culture places more emphasis on emotion and description than logical fact. The structure of ideas throughout the poem thereafter is fluid. Donne is initially annoyed at the sun for its punctuality, saying that a love like his knows no time, and the sun would be better off chastising late schoolboys. As the poem progresses, Donne goes from annoyance, to mocking the sun's supposed power (“Thy beames, so reverend… I could eclipse then with a winke”), to then feeling content, and almost bad for the sun. Donne writes “Thou sunne are halfe as happy’as wee, in that the world’s contracted thus”, in which he is stating that the poor, old sun must have an easier job shining down on him and his lover, as their entire world is confined to each other. It is this notion of fluidity of ideas that further reflects the literary culture of Donne’s poems. He uses his writings, not to record tangible fact and feeling, but to support the idea that both his thoughts, and the subjects of his writing, can easily be written flexibly, as they are both…
- 2452 Words
- 10 Pages
Powerful Essays -
A sonnet is a form of lyric poetry with fourteen lines and a specific rhyme scheme. (Lyric poetry presents the deep feelings and emotions of the poet as opposed to poetry that tells a story or presents a witty observation.)…
- 376 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
In his essay, Curley describes that the speaker of the poem as naive or childlike. God created children, who ask lots of questions to help them make sense of the world they are living in and just beginning to learn about, which is why this poem consisted of so many questions. However, humans do not understand God because he is so magnificent. Therefore, the answers to the speaker’s questions, the idea of divine creation, and why God created both good and evil are incomprehensible to humans…
- 584 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Edson uses many different characters, in particular the protagonist, Vivian Bearing, to conceptualise ideas of Donne poems. This is by drawing relations from Donne’s poetry and Vivian’s life events such as through job prospects as well as relational and death issues encountered. This is then use in order to trivalise the study of Donne but drawing different meanings from the initial intended notions. Donne uses poems such as Death Be Not Proud, Hymne to my God, my God in my Sicknesse (Hymn to God), The Valediction: Forbidding Mourning (The Valediction), If Poysonous Mineralls and My Playes Last Scene in order to portray his views upon the themes of death and relational values as well as the significance of religion. The manipulation of meaning in different contexts is prominently showcased in W;t in various ways.…
- 1284 Words
- 4 Pages
Better Essays -
This sonnet consists on the defence of true love. The meaning of true love is described as an ever-fixed mark, something, a feeling that nothing can destroy. The first quatrain describes true love as unmoral and unchanging. True love can not be changed by its own nor allows itself to be changed even though the person who is loved changes. Shakespeare explains his thoughts on love. He defines true love as constant, an “ever-fixed mark”. If love is altered and shaken, it was never true love, since he explains that true love will never be shaken as if it was something that we couldn’t reach and touch, if we are able to reach it, it was never high enough and therefore never true love. In the second quatrain true love is compared to a star which guides people as if people where lost and could be all guided to the same place by this unreachable star. This star is described as unnatural and indescribable, something unknown although we seek it and feel it, we never reach it if it is really true. If this star disappears that means that it was never real, it was just an illusion: true love will never disappear. In Shakespeare’s time, science of stars had still not very much progressed, therefore he uses it as an example of something which we know nothing about, love is a mystery that we can feel and see but we know nothing about. This metaphor emphasises the constancy and…
- 622 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In the poems the “Holy Sonnet IV” and the “Holy Sonnet VII”, the writer John Donne accepts the theme of death and understands that death doesn't wait for anyone. The similarities in each poem's theme of accepting death are very alike due to John Donne's morals that one must repent and go through death to reach an eternal life.…
- 645 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
If one were to ever receive a love poem, Shakespeare's Sonnet 43 would be and excellent poem to receive. The sonnet is addressed to the beloved of the speaker. The speaker talks about how the best thing he sees is upon the closing of his eyes, when he then pictures the beloved. The speaker talks about how the rest of the world is unworthy to look upon compared to the beloved. The speaker talks about how sleep is the best time, because that is when he can see the beloved in his dreams. Day is like night, dreary with waiting for the night to come, in order to see the beloved again. This sonnet is pretty much straight forward with what it says, but there are some examples of some literary techniques incorporated within the poem.…
- 839 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
John Donne’s petrarchan sonnet “Batter My Heart” is written traditional sonnet format. It is an apostrophe in which the author, hereafter referred to as the speaker, speaks to God. Whether the speaker is Donne himself is debatable as many elements of the speaker’s identity, including their gender, is unclear. Through careful use of imagery and simile,as well as paradox, John Donne delivers a concise image of the speakers desired relationship with God.…
- 1254 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays