A Hymn to God the Father by John Donne Theme Summary Analysis II John Donne as a Metaphysical Poet

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Dr. Vipul V. Kapoor, Associate Professor (MA, M.Phil, PhD)
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1. A Hymn to God the Father by John Donne Dr. Vipul V. Kapoor (YouTube channel: Study Lovers by Dr. Vipul V. Kapoor)

2. INTRODUCTION John Donne (1572-1631) the father of Metaphysical poetry in English literature has written two types of poems in his life time – Love poems and Devotional Poems. ‘A Hymn to God the Father’ is a religious poem where the poet prays God to forgive all his sins. The poem revives the tradition of “confession” of Christian religion.

3. WHAT IS A HYMN? Hymn is a type of lyric written in praise of Gods and Goddesses. It is a short musical religious poem.

4. FIRST STANZA Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun,  Which was my sin, though it were done before?  Will you forgive my first sin committed even before my birth? Here, there is a reference to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve. God had denied them to taste the fruit of knowledge. But they disobeyed the God by tasting the fruit of knowledge.

5. FIRST STANZA Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run,  And do run still, though still I do deplore (dislike)?   When thou hast done, thou hast not done,  For I have more.  Here, the poet prays God to forgive him for all his sin which he is committing at present.

6. SECOND STANZA Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won  Others to sin, and made my sin their door?  The poet asks God to forgive him for the sins which he himself did not commit but for those sins for which he has inspired others to commit.

7. SECOND STANZA Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun  A year or two, but wallow’d (enjoyed) in, a score?  When thou hast done, thou hast not done,  For I have more.  The poet asks God to forgive those sins which he did in his life time though for one or two years he has avoided to keep away from such sinful life.

8. THIRD STANZA I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun  My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;  Here, the poet asks God to forgive him for the sin of fear. The poet thinks about his last days and he has fear that because of his sins he will be hanging somewhere between the heaven and hell.

9. THIRD STANZA But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son  Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore;  And, having done that, thou hast done;  I fear no more.  The poet prays God to keep the blessings of His Son (Jesus) with him.

10. FORM OF THE POEM The poem is written in three stanzas of six lines each (sestets). The rhyming patter in all stanzas is AB AB AB . Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun ,  Which was my sin, though it were done before ?  Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run ,  And do run still, though still I do deplore ?  When thou hast done, thou hast not done ,  For I have more . 

11. METER The poem is written in Iambic Pentameter lines. Each line has ten syllables and five Iambs. The poem has a rising rhythm.

12. POETIC DEVICES METAPHOR:   Line No. 13 “ Last Thread ” stands for “ death ”. Line No. 14 “Shore” stands for “limbo” (between the heaven and hell). REFRAIN :  Line 5-6 and 11-12: the last two lines of the first stanza and the second stanza are identical, and this is called refrain . “When thou hast done, thou hast not done,  For I have more.” PUN :  Line No. 15 the word “ Son ” The poet compares God’s Son (Jesus) with the actual sun.