{"id":75473,"date":"2023-08-29T09:54:03","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T09:54:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essays.homeworkacetutors.com\/symbolism-meaning-donnes-holy-sonnet-xiv\/"},"modified":"2023-08-29T09:54:03","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T09:54:03","slug":"symbolism-meaning-donnes-holy-sonnet-xiv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/symbolism-meaning-donnes-holy-sonnet-xiv\/","title":{"rendered":"Symbolism Meaning: Donne\u2019s Holy Sonnet XIV"},"content":{"rendered":"
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John Donne, the infamous metaphysical poet, wrote his collection of nineteen poems \u2018Holy Sonnets\u2019 in a time of apparent adversity in his physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Unlike typical literary symbolism, Donne gives \u2018Holy Sonnet XIV\u2019 little ambiguity. Consequently, this allows Donne\u2019s overwhelming emotions to be explained through the intense and vigorous phrases in the poem that represent Donne\u2019s desperation to become consumed by God\u2019s power.<\/p>\n

\u2018Holy Sonnet XIV\u2019 is written with a hyperbolic intensity that holds many sexual connotations. It is in the final couplet, that Donne describes how he \u2018never shall be free\u2019 unless God \u2018ravishes\u2019 him. This powerful image of a rape that is deemed as holy creates a paradox between purity and sin, symbolising God dominating Donne with ultimate control to become unified as one in the hope of gaining an immortal partner. This concept of a transcendent sexual act is evident in a few of the other \u2018Holy Sonnets\u2019 that were written by Donne, including the image of holy whore in \u2018Holy Sonnet XVIII\u2019 which suggests that he was at this time, crying out for something extraordinary (God) to satisfy his every emotion. It could also be interpreted that Donne uses this paradox to symbolise his strive towards perfection. In the early seventeenth century, spiritual alchemy was still very popular in Europe. It appears that Donne was aware of this metaphysical science and the similarities it shared with Christianity which he writes about in his final sermon, \u2018Death\u2019s Duel\u2019. An alchemist believed that becoming a hermaphrodite was a stage in the process before perfection\u00a0[i<\/a>]<\/span>\u00a0and it could have been understood by Donne that in becoming so intimately unified with God, he would achieve this neutrality that would \u2018make [him] new\u2019. However, it is not likely that Donne would actually hold this belief as he was not only born into a strict Roman Catholic family but was also ordained as a priest in the Anglican Church at the time which suggests he held onto firm Christian principles. Donne exclaims further on in the poem how he wants to be broken in to and \u2018batter[ed]\u2019 with a shout of \u2018O, to no end\u2019. This symbolises Donne\u2019s sexual urge to be possessed with force in order to achieve that exclusive familiarity with God that, possibly, he never felt the need to have until his wife Ann died and he was left without this kind of relationship. However, a stronger interpretation is that Donne is attempting to incorporate his physical desires with his passion for God so he can stop his ongoing battle between the two.<\/p>\n

Donne uses the extended metaphor of a \u2018city\u2019 not only in \u2018Holy Sonnet XIV\u2019 but also in \u2018Loves War\u2019. In this Elegy which was written in Donne\u2019s youth, he describes a \u2018free Citty\u2019 which \u2018thyself allow to anyone\u2019 \u2013 a metaphor for how anyone can enter a woman\u00a0[ii<\/a>]<\/span>\u00a0\u2013 and goes onto say how in there he would like to \u2018batter, bleede and dye\u2019. Here, Donne is controlling the \u2018city\u2019 and taking over it himself, however, if Donne intended to use this same metaphor in \u2018Holy Sonnet XIV\u2019, the roles have changed and it now signifies how it is Donne who needs to be seized by God\u2019s spirit. Furthermore, this represents how Donne\u2019s life and therefore attitude has changed between writing these poems; he used to feel in control but now he is controlled.<\/p>\n

The physical verbs that are used immediately sets the violent theme of the octave. The spondaic feet emphasises Donne\u2019s cry for God to \u2018break, blow\u2019 and \u2018burn\u2019 his heart so he can become \u2018imprisoned\u2019 in God\u2019s power, creating a paradoxical image of a benevolent God acting in a brutal way. He uses a metaphysical conceit to explain how he is \u2018like an usurp\u2019d town\u2019 with God\u2019s viceroy (reason) in him. This imagery of warfare that pervades the sonnet symbolises his soul at war with himself; only if God physically \u2018overthrow\u2019s\u2019 Donne and \u2018batters\u2019 his sinful heart will he be able to \u2018divorce\u2019 the devil. It was around the time of writing this poem that Donne renounced his Catholic upbringing which gives evidence to the assumption that the sin he was struggling with began to overpower his Christian beliefs and needed God become as real to him as God was to his respected Catholic parents. Furthermore, in \u2018Holy Sonnet XVII\u2019 Donne exclaims how \u2018though [he] have found [God], and thou [his] thirst hast fed, a holy thirsty dropsy melts [him] yet. This reveals that Donne feels that even though he has found God, his yearning is not satisfied which gives evidence towards the assumption that he is crying out for spiritual ecstasy. This paradox between freedom and captivity was most frequently written about by most prison poets such as Richard Lovelace\u00a0[iii<\/a>]<\/span>\u00a0Donne wrote, \u2018Except you enthrall me, never shall be free\u2019 which implies the same idea as Loveless in \u2018To Althea, From Prison\u2019 that true freedom is internal, not external, symbolising his struggle with sin whilst he is physically free.<\/p>\n

The religious symbolism that Donne unmistakably uses reveals his devotion to the Bible. Critics have noted that Donne \u2018took the scriptures with a radical and bizarre literality which gave both novelty and substance to traditional ideas\u2019. This is certainly reflected in \u2018Holy Sonnet XIV\u2019 when Donne pleads that he \u2018may rise\u2019 and be made \u2018new\u2019 which connotes the idea of a resurrection, just as he believed Jesus had done. Furthermore, \u2018batter my heart, three-person\u2019d God\u2019 could be associated with close biblical references such as how God will \u2018heal the broken-hearted and bind up their wounds\u2019, subsequently, interpreting this phrase as Donne desperate to take refuge in God so his \u2018profound mourning\u2019 for his beloved late wife would stop. A form of personification, prosopopoeia, is used often in the bible\u00a0[iv<\/a>]<\/span>\u00a0(\u2018Do not arouse or awaken love before it pleases\u2019 Song of Solomon 8:4) and, similarly in Donne\u2019s work. He uses this device of \u2018personified abstraction\u2019 in \u2018Holy Sonnet X \u2013 Death Be Not Proud\u2019 and again in Holy Sonnet XIV when he states how \u2018Reason\u2019 is God\u2019s \u2018viceroy\u2019 in him. One critic states that prosopopoeia is \u2018a form of projection or displacement\u2026a rhetorical term for the mental phenomenon we call \u2018hearing voices\u201d which could hold some validity considering Donne\u2019s financial and relationship insecurities at the time. However, despite this loose connection to Donne\u2019s mental state, a more likely interpretation is that Donne has used this device to turn \u2018imaginary entities into lifelike agents\u2019\u00a0[v<\/a>]<\/span>\u00a0to achieve cognitive understanding into an abstract concept that Donne experiences; God has breathed reason \u2013 the substitute of God \u2013 however, this form of defence has \u2018proved weak\u2019. This could reflect Donne\u2019s resentment towards God and display tones of hatred as he believes God has failed to conquer his sin through reason, perhaps with some feelings of doubt towards His existence. However, it is illogical to interpret this phrase in this way as Donne is known to have devoted his whole life to his religion and love of God. It is much more likely that Donne is stating this to show his acknowledgement of how reason has not been enough in the past to lure him from sin but is pleading for God to defeat the devil with every ounce of reason there is, which he does not deny exists, even if it results in a \u2018batter[ed] heart\u2019.<\/p>\n

Donne has structured this poem as a Petrachan sonnet, after the Italian poet Petrach. The octave consists of an ABBAABBA rhyme scheme followed by a sestet with the rhyme following a CDCDEE pattern. The sestet marks the Volta, using the conjunction \u2018yet\u2019, which signifies a different perspective on the original topic and in this case, the reader sees Donne turn from a desperate state to more reflective tone as he says how he \u2018loves\u2019 God and \u2018would be loved fain\u2019. This device puts emphasis on this line, preventing the explosive climax in the octave progressing, which symbolises Donne\u2019s essential feelings towards his God. Furthermore, Petrachan sonnets were typically used to refer to a concept of unattainable love and often presented the subject as a model of perfection\u00a0[vi<\/a>]<\/span>\u00a0. There is no doubt that Donne used this verse form consciously, representing the adoration for God that Donne wanted to display through the sonnet to replace any women that would typically be the subject. These factors being taken into consideration dismiss any claims that Donne is trying to challenge God to prove Himself and His awesome power that is displayed in the bible. Surely, if Donne doubted God\u2019s existence he would not have been so dedicated to his career of preaching and delivering sermons.<\/p>\n

Literary symbolism is \u2018characterised by a shimmering surface of suggestive meanings without a denotative core\u2019\u00a0[vii<\/a>]<\/span>\u00a0however, it is apparent that Donne has not taken this subtle technique when writing \u2018Holy Sonnet XIV\u2019. The poet has quite obviously used ideas to \u2018stand for\u2019\u00a0[viii<\/a>]<\/span>\u00a0something else throughout the poem to portray his emotions which arguably does not deliver a text that has \u2018rich plurality\u2019\u00a0[ix<\/a>]<\/span>\u00a0. Ironically, this symbolises Donne\u2019s forthright and desperate appeal to God which supports a critic\u2019s observation that \u2018a sense of emergency is a mood of Donne\u2019s highly wrought poetry throughout his life\u2019 where to waver his words is not an option. Consequently, \u2018Holy Sonnet XIV\u2019 lacks the ambiguity that a reader typically expects from a reading of symbolism however it is vital to recognise that this poetic style was not acknowledged until the \u2018late nineteenth century in the work of Baudelaire, Verlaine and Mallarm\u00e9\u2019\u00a0[x<\/a>]<\/span>\u00a0which certainly suggests that Donne did not consciously use this literary technique to convey his meaning behind the poem. It must be acknowledged that Donne is renowned for being an ingenious metaphysical poet. Therefore, only to a small extent has Donne only used direct symbolism to express his contrasting emotions but rather the bizarre paradoxes, the vivid imagery, the unique conceits and the inventive metaphors all fundamentally represent Donne\u2019s desperation to become consumed in God\u2019s awesome and overwhelming power.<\/p>\n

Becca Campbell-Jones T58<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

John Donne, the infamous metaphysical poet, wrote his collection of nineteen poems \u2018Holy Sonnets\u2019 in a time of apparent adversity in his physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Unlike typical literary symbolism, Donne gives \u2018Holy Sonnet XIV\u2019 little ambiguity. Consequently, this allows Donne\u2019s overwhelming emotions to be explained through the intense and vigorous phrases in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5858],"tags":[9790,9869,9870,9889,3953,9940,9799,9939],"class_list":["post-75473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english-literature","tag-assignment-help-for-masters-students","tag-au","tag-complete-the-assignment-in-a-page-paper","tag-in-1050-word-essay","tag-need-help-writing-a-masters-thesis","tag-online-class-course-exam-help","tag-research-essay-pro","tag-write-my-essay-homework-due-in-hours"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75473"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75473\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}