A HYMN TO GOD THE FATHER.
by John Donne
WILT Thou forgive that sin where I begun,
Which is 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 by which I’ve won
Others to sin, and made my sin their door?
Wilt Thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two, but wallowed 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.
Questions:
- What sins does Donne confess in the first stanza? The second? The third?
- Do these sins grow less or more serious as Donne progresses? Which is most serious of all? Why?
- How does Donne pun on his name? What other puns does he employ?
- What images does Donne use, and to what effect?
- In view of the foregoing, what is the overall message of the poem?
