Lecture notes
A Hymn To God The Father (John Donne)
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- CCEA
A2 Unit 1-John Donne notes
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A Hymn To God The FatherFORM AND STRUCTURE
- This is a three stanza poem that is divided into sets of six lines, or sestets.
- From the title it is clear that Donne intended this piece as a hymn.
- It has a light, musical quality to it which can be found in most of Donne’s work- The
perception is in part caused by the rhyme scheme.
- The lines follow a consistent pattern of ABABAB, without any alteration in end
sounds between the stanzas. Line one of all three stanzas rhymes, and so on through
all six lines.
- There is a great deal of repetition in the text. This too adds to the feeling that this is
a song with verses and, most importantly in regards to repetition, refrains.
- Poem is mostly structured in iambic pentameter
LANGUAGE AND IMAGERY
Stanza 1
- Line 1: “Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun”- Donne starts the poem with a
plea of forgiveness for the first sin. The poem opens with an abrupt question. It is
blunt and unexpected, without the softening of, for example, ‘Dear God, please …’
This sets the tone for the poem, an unusually direct address to God. Through the
demonstrative pronoun “that” Donne references the original sin committed by Adam
and Eve.
- Line 2: “Which was my sin, though it were done before?”-Through the preposition
“before” the poet notes that he did not contribute to original sin yet all of humanity
suffer from it. Readers can witness the theme of repentance and regret in the very
first stanza of the poem. Donne knows that he is not part of very first sin but he also
knows that he is not perfect; therefore, he focuses on forgiveness and mercy of the
God. In his life, he has committed many sins. He strongly repents on his
wrongdoings.
- Line 3: “Wilt thou forgive those sins, through which I run,”-The use of anaphora
“Wilt thou forgive” is used to unify the text as well as enhance its song-like qualities.
The repetition is also reminiscent of the structure of a prayer. Through the personal
pronoun “I,” Donne now introduces his own personal sins into the poem and asks
God to forgive his individual sins.
- Line 4: “And do still run: though still I do deplore?”-The use of enjambment evokes
the continuous nature of the speaker’s sin. However, the verb “deplore” suggests his
desire to change and his hope for redemption.
- Line 5-6: “When thou hast done, thou hast not done / For, I have more”- Again, the
use of enjambment evokes the continuous nature of the speaker’s sin. The speaker is
fully conscious of his sinful nature. Donne, with startling audacity lets God know that
the forgiveness he seeks will be ongoing, for he has ‘more’ — that is, more sin he has
or expects to commit. The parallel grammatical structure evokes the speaker’s need
for continuous intervention by God to save him from sin. Thus, the first stanza of the
poem is a type of confession. The final line breaks the pattern of iambic
pentameters to form a short, emphatic line, which is repeated in similar form in the
following stanzas, another example of anaphora or refrain. These shortened lines are
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