Holy Sonnet 7 - John Donne
/Holy Sonnet 7 - John Donne/
A Stirring Call to Resurrection and Spiritual Reflection
Original:
At the round earth’s imagin’d corners, blow
Modern:
At the far corners of this rounded earth, sound forth
Original:
Your trumpets, Angels, and arise, arise
Modern:
Your trumpets, O Angels; let all arise, arise
Original:
From death, you numberless infinities
Modern:
From death, you countless multitudes
Original:
Of souls, and to your scatter’d bodies go;
Modern:
Of souls, and be joined again to your scattered bodies;
Original:
All whom the flood did, and fire shall o’erthrow,
Modern:
All those destroyed by the flood, and all who shall fall by fire,
Original:
All whom war, dearth, age, agues, tyrannies,
Modern:
All whom war, famine, time, illness, and tyranny have claimed,
Original:
Despair, law, chance, hath slain, and you whose eyes
Modern:
Despair, the law, or blind fate has taken, and all whose eyes
Original:
Shall behold God, and never taste death’s woe.
Modern:
Shall one day behold God, without tasting death’s anguish.
Original:
But let them sleep, Lord, and me mourn a space,
Modern:
Yet let them rest, Lord, and allow me time to mourn,
Original:
For, if above all these, my sins abound,
Modern:
For if my sins tower above all theirs,
Original:
’Tis late to ask abundance of thy grace
Modern:
It would be too late to beg the fullness of Your grace
Original:
When we are there; here on this lowly ground,
Modern:
Once we stand before You; here on this humble earth,
Original:
Teach me how to repent; for that’s as good
Modern:
Teach me true repentance; for that is as potent
Original:
As if thou hadst seal’d my pardon, with thy blood.
Modern:
As though You had sealed my pardon with Your own blood.
At the round earth’s imagin’d corners, blow
Modern:
At the far corners of this rounded earth, sound forth
Original:
Your trumpets, Angels, and arise, arise
Modern:
Your trumpets, O Angels; let all arise, arise
Original:
From death, you numberless infinities
Modern:
From death, you countless multitudes
Original:
Of souls, and to your scatter’d bodies go;
Modern:
Of souls, and be joined again to your scattered bodies;
Original:
All whom the flood did, and fire shall o’erthrow,
Modern:
All those destroyed by the flood, and all who shall fall by fire,
Original:
All whom war, dearth, age, agues, tyrannies,
Modern:
All whom war, famine, time, illness, and tyranny have claimed,
Original:
Despair, law, chance, hath slain, and you whose eyes
Modern:
Despair, the law, or blind fate has taken, and all whose eyes
Original:
Shall behold God, and never taste death’s woe.
Modern:
Shall one day behold God, without tasting death’s anguish.
Original:
But let them sleep, Lord, and me mourn a space,
Modern:
Yet let them rest, Lord, and allow me time to mourn,
Original:
For, if above all these, my sins abound,
Modern:
For if my sins tower above all theirs,
Original:
’Tis late to ask abundance of thy grace
Modern:
It would be too late to beg the fullness of Your grace
Original:
When we are there; here on this lowly ground,
Modern:
Once we stand before You; here on this humble earth,
Original:
Teach me how to repent; for that’s as good
Modern:
Teach me true repentance; for that is as potent
Original:
As if thou hadst seal’d my pardon, with thy blood.
Modern:
As though You had sealed my pardon with Your own blood.
John Donne’s “Holy Sonnet 7,” commonly identified by its opening line “At the round earth’s imagin’d corners,” envisions the final resurrection and the reunion of souls with their bodies. The poem begins in dramatic fashion—Donne commands angels to blow their trumpets and summon every soul back from the dead. This imagery echoes biblical references to the resurrection day when, according to Christian teaching, the dead will be awakened and stand before God.
In the opening lines, Donne catalogs various ways people have died—through natural disasters (like floods and fires), war, famine, tyranny, and random misfortune—implying that none escape mortality’s hold. Yet, by invoking the angels’ trumpets, he emphasizes the central Christian hope: that eventually all will be called forth to face judgment.
However, Donne abruptly changes the poem’s direction. He pauses the dramatic call to resurrect everyone and asks the Lord instead to let the dead rest. This shift underscores a deeply personal acknowledgment of his own sinfulness. He realizes his unworthiness to stand before God without first learning genuine repentance. It’s a moment of humility: Donne recognizes that despite the universal scope of resurrection, the individual’s spiritual preparation is paramount.
In theological context, Donne’s plea for repentance reflects a larger Christian doctrine: believers should not wait until the final hour to seek God’s mercy. True repentance and the transformation of the heart are best achieved in life, rather than left to the moment of final judgment. By addressing the inevitability of death head-on, Donne challenges both himself and his audience to live in a manner that prepares them to meet God.
The final couplet—“Teach me how to repent; for that’s as good / As if thou hadst seal’d my pardon, with thy blood”—underscores the poet’s conviction that sincere repentance draws upon the redemptive power of Christ’s sacrifice. Donne sees repentance not simply as an act of regret, but as the means to a real, internal spiritual renewal that culminates in divine forgiveness.
Throughout “Holy Sonnet 7,” Donne deftly balances grand, cosmic scenes with intensely private introspection. In urging the angels to blow their trumpets, he employs vivid imagery of the apocalypse. But in pleading for the dead to remain asleep a while longer, he reveals his own vulnerability, emphasizing the urgent need for soul-searching and genuine contrition in the face of eternity.
Ultimately, this sonnet stands as a meditation on human mortality, divine grace, and the believer’s preparation for the inevitable meeting with God. Its resonant message reminds the faithful that spiritual readiness is not just a distant future concern but a pressing matter for the here and now.
Key points
1. Donne opens with a dramatic call for the final resurrection, highlighting Christian eschatological themes.
2. The poem shifts focus to personal repentance, stressing an urgent need for spiritual readiness.
3. Donne’s enumeration of all manners of death underscores humanity’s universal fate.
4. Genuine repentance is portrayed as essential for forgiveness, drawing on Christ’s redemptive sacrifice.
5. By blending grand cosmic imagery with personal humility, Donne underscores the tension between divine judgment and human frailty.