Friday, January 27, 2006

John Donne

A Hymn To God The Father
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.

Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won
Others to sin, and made my sin their door?
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two, but wallow'd in, a score?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
For I have more.

I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun
My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;
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.

6 comments:

twd3lr said...

Dammit, Ken. You would have to post a poem from my least favorite English lit. class ever. I can't stand Donne's religious poetry. Bleck. To each his own, I guess.

Peter said...

Funny thing is, I find Donne's religious thinking very very alien lately, but I love the language nonetheless. I enjoyed it.

Ken said...

It's really more about the use of language. Powerful command of it. It's beautiful art.

munkee girl said...

Were one to believe in God and his only Son, one might note that it is also truth. Booyah.

twd3lr said...

Sorry gang, but I didn't like it then and I don't like it now. It is flowery language, but I think most people get caught up in the King James-ish-ness of it all, but I'm not buying it. If you want beautiful turns of language, you need not look very far away in place and time to the greatest--William Shakespeare.

Again, though, to each his own, even if he is wrong. ;)

Peter said...

That's funny. I don't find the language flowery at all. Just constructed in ways that we find kind of odd today.