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Spit In My Face Ye Jews and Pierce My Side (John Donne)
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A2 Unit 1-John Donne notes
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Spit in My Face Ye Jews, And Pierce My SideFORM AND STRUCTURE
- The poem is a sonnet
- The poem uses elements of both Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnets
- Rhyme scheme-ABBA ABBA CDCD EE-first part of rhyme scheme is Petrarchan while
second part is Shakespearean
- The poem is written in iambic pentameter (typical of Shakespearean sonnet)
- Poem has typical octave / sestet division:
- Octave: Speaker reflects on the crucifixion and argues that he should have been
crucified in Jesus’ place as he is more sinful
- Sestet: The speaker reflects on the crucifixion with admiration at God’s sacrifice
LANGUAGE AND IMAGERY
Octave
- Line 1: “Spit in my face ye Jews, and pierce my side”- The verbs “spit” and “pierce”
create an abrasive, shocking tone immediately. Through these verbs and the explicit
reference to ‘Jews’ the poet makes the subject matter of the poem (the crucifixion)
clear immediately-the poet compares himself to Jesus during the crucifixion. The
poet draws explicit attention to the role Jewish people played in the crucifixion of
Jesus (link to contemporary context)
- Line 2: “Buffet, and scoff, scourge and crucify me”-The verbal patterning culminates
with the verb “crucify me.” Through the verb “crucify” the speaker makes a direct
comparison between himself and Jesus.
- Line 3-4: “For I have sinned, and sinned, and only he/ Who could do no iniquity,
hath died”- The repetition of “sinned” evokes the poet’s guilt at his sinful nature.
The poet compares himself to Jesus, recognising Jesus’ innocence in his crucifixion.
While Jesus was crucified for the sins of mankind, the poet suggests he needs to be
crucified for his own sins. The use of enjambment emphasises Jesus as the son of
God and his suffering as distinct
- Line 5-6: “But by my death cannot be satisfied / My sins which pass the Jews
impiety”- The structural marker “but” limits the comparison between the speaker
and Jesus. The poet suggests that his death will not remove his sins. The speaker
suggests his sins are of such magnitude that they eclipse the impiety of the Jews
when they sentenced Jesus to death.
- Line 7-8: “They kill’d once an inglorious man, but I / Crucify him daily being now
glorified”-The dichotomy between the adverbs ‘once’ and ‘daily’ contrasts the
speaker with the Jews. The speaker suggests that while the Jews crucified Jesus
once, he crucifies him every time he sins. The contrasts between the ‘inglorious’ and
‘glorified’ state of Jesus presents a difference between the crucifixions that the Jews
and the speaker participated in. While the Jews inflicted physical death on Jesus, the
speaker continuously crucifies the ‘glorious’ celestial Jesus.
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