Analysis Of John Donne's 'Holy Sonnet IX'

John Donne was an English poet, cleric in the Church of England and a lawyer, who was known as the representative of metaphysical poets. He has a great range of literary works that he wrote but his most recognized are sonnets. One of the most important themes in his poems is the concept of the true religion about which he wrote many worldly poems in which he showed his substantial attention in religious beliefs. The best example for this are his 19 Holy Sonnets, which were published 2 years after Donne’s death. The purpose of this paper is to explain Donne 's rather questioning tone of God and his mercy prevalent in his 'Holy Sonnet IX '. In his 'Holy Sonnet IX ' Donne, the speaker in this poem is a man who is very angry and wants desperately the forgiveness form God for the things he has done and wants God’s mercy. The tone of the poem is preferably dark and we can see the change from Donne’s criticizing God to his begging for forgiveness. Donne uses a quite amount of Biblical references for example “If poisonous minerals, and if that tree” (1) which is obviously the reference to the scene in the Garden of Eden, God’s Garden, and Donne explains the Original Sin or the fall of the men. “Whose fruit threw death on (else immortal) us” (2) because in God’s Garden Adam and Eve ate of the fruit God had forbidden them. Followed by their actions God decreed that Adam and Eve should know death. “Us” (2) refers to the humanity, if Adam and Eve haven’t done