“A Hymn to God the Father”
“A Hymn to God the Father” by John Donne is an insightful poem that addresses the speaker’s unease caused by the sins he has committed throughout his life and the inner battle to relieve his fear of death. The speaker is supposedly John Donne because he was on the verge of death when writing this poem and was deeply religious during the latter part of his life. Donne’s simple and precise wording in combination with the rhythmical consistency creates an atmosphere that is serious, sincere, and direct, leaving little to interpretation and expressing his dedication to God with earnest passion. The poem itself reads like a prayer, sharing with the reader insights into what it is to be human, the nature of wrongdoing and the subsequent guilt, and the very human fear of death. The poem “A Hymn to God the Father,” although assumed to be spoken by John Donne, could have been inspired by hi
“A Hymn to God the Father” is a very elegantly constructed poem, pleasing to read, perceptive in its scope, and lasting in its meaning. It is a poem about being human, what every human feels, and one interpretation of how one may deal with guilt and fear. The thirteenth and fourteenth lines: “I have a sin of fear, that when I've spun / My last thread, I shall perish on the shore,” show in a simple metaphor something shared by all human beings. The idea that we will simply die upon this earth and waste away is something we all have trouble accepting. The speaker says he has no fear of this though, for as long as God’s son shines eternally, he too shall live on. This is a poem of the deepest fear conquered by the speaker’s determined hope. Donne writes with a very regular style, the first four lines of each of the three stanzas in iambic pentameter, the following line in iambic trim
Some topics in this essay:
John Donne,
God Father”,
john donne,
“a hymn god,
hymn god father”,
Hymn God,
hymn god,
god father”,
“a hymn,
committed throughout life,
,
sins committed throughout,
thou forgive,
sins committed,
fear death,
“wilt thou forgive,
throughout life,
“wilt thou,
committed throughout,
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Approximate Word count = 607
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)
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