Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness

Context

Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness, was written by John Donne as he faced a severe illness, likely shortly before he died in 1631.
The poem reflects Donne's deep Christian faith and his acceptance of death as a transition to eternal life.
It explores themes of suffering, redemption, and the journey of the soul towards God, resonating with Donne's position as a prominent preacher and his grappling with mortality.
The poem is part of Donne's devotional works, where he often reflects on his own life experiences and spiritual insights, using metaphysical conceits to explore profound religious ideas.

Structure and Form

Form, Meter, and Rhyme

The poem consists of five stanzas, each composed of six lines, following an ABABCC rhyme scheme.
This structure creates a regular and contemplative rhythm, mirroring the speaker's introspective and resigned tone as he prepares for death.
The meter is primarily iambic pentameter, which gives the poem a steady and reflective cadence, suitable for its solemn meditation on mortality and the afterlife.

Speaker and Setting

The speaker, who is likely a reflection of Donne himself, addresses God directly, preparing for his imminent death.
The setting is his sickbed, where he contemplates the journey of his soul towards heaven.
The poem's setting is both literal, as the speaker lies physically ill, and metaphorical, as he envisions his soul's passage through suffering towards eternal life.
The speaker's tone is one of calm acceptance, viewing death not with fear but as a transition to a better existence.

Poetic Devices

Conceit:

Donne uses an extended metaphor, comparing his body to a map and his illness to a journey through "straits" (narrow passages), symbolizing the difficult passage towards death and beyond.
The speaker says, "Flat on this bed, that by them may be shown / That this is my south-west discovery," transforming his physical decline into an exploration towards a new life.

Allusion:

The poem references the biblical idea that Christ's crucifixion (Calvary) and Adam's sin (the Tree of Knowledge) occurred in the same place, symbolizing the connection between human sin and divine redemption.
Donne writes, "We think that Paradise and Calvary, / Christ's cross, and Adam's tree, stood in one place," merging the concepts of original sin and salvation.

Metaphor:

The poem is rich in metaphorical language, such as the comparison of Christ's blood to a royal robe, signifying both suffering and ultimate victory.
- The speaker prays, "So, in his purple wrapp'd, receive me, Lord," asking to be enveloped in Christ's redemptive sacrifice.

Key Themes

Death as a Journey

The poem explores death not as an end, but as a journey toward eternal life, with the speaker viewing his illness as a passage through "straits" that lead to heaven.
The speaker expresses this by stating, "Per fretum febris, by these straits to die, / I joy, that in these straits, I see my West," showing his acceptance and even joy at the thought of death as a transition to the afterlife.

Suffering and Redemption

Suffering is portrayed as a necessary step towards redemption, echoing the Christian belief that through Christ's suffering and death, humanity can achieve eternal life.
The speaker alludes to this by saying, "As the first Adam's sweat surrounds my face, / May the last Adam's blood my soul embrace," linking his suffering with that of Christ and Adam.

The Unity of Death and Resurrection

Donne presents the idea that death and resurrection are intertwined, with death merely being the gateway to a new life in heaven, reflecting the Christian belief in the resurrection.
- He articulates this by stating, "As West and East / In all flat maps (and I am one) are one, / So death doth touch the resurrection," suggesting that death and rebirth are part of the same process.

Similar Poems

"A Hymn to God the Father": This poem also reflects on themes of sin, forgiveness, and the hope for divine mercy, much like Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness.
"Holy Sonnet X: Death, be not proud": In this sonnet, Donne personifies death and diminishes its power, much like in Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness, where death is seen as a transition rather than an end.
"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning": This poem shares the theme of transcending earthly suffering and the assurance of spiritual connection beyond physical separation.

Line by Line Analysis

Stanza 1

Since I am coming to that holy room,

Where, with thy choir of saints for evermore,

I shall be made thy music; as I come

I tune the instrument here at the door,

And what I must do then, think here before.

"Since I am coming to that holy room,"

The speaker anticipates his death, referring to heaven as the "holy room" he is approaching.
This line sets a solemn yet hopeful tone, as the speaker looks forward to entering God's presence.

"Where, with thy choir of saints for evermore, / I shall be made thy music;"

The speaker envisions joining the "choir of saints" in heaven, where he will become part of God's eternal harmony.
This metaphor suggests that in death, his soul will be transformed into something pure and musical, contributing to the divine symphony.

"As I come / I tune the instrument here at the door,"

The speaker likens himself to an instrument that needs tuning before entering heaven, symbolizing his preparation for death.
The "door" represents the threshold between life and the afterlife, where the speaker readies himself for his final journey.

"And what I must do then, think here before."

He reflects on the importance of spiritual preparation, contemplating the actions he must take before his death.
This line underscores the speaker's awareness of his mortality and the necessity of being spiritually prepared for the afterlife.

Stanza 2

Whilst my physicians by their love are grown

Cosmographers, and I their map, who lie

Flat on this bed, that by them may be shown

That this is my south-west discovery,

Per fretum febris, by these straits to die,

"Whilst my physicians by their love are grown / Cosmographers, and I their map, who lie"

The speaker compares his doctors to "cosmographers" (mapmakers), who study and chart the earth, with the speaker's body as their "map".
This metaphor highlights the doctor's role in charting the course of his illness and impending death.

"Flat on this bed, that by them may be shown / That this is my south-west discovery,"

The speaker imagines himself as lying "flat" on a bed, like a map, where the doctors trace the journey of his illness.
The "south-west discovery" alludes to death, with "south" symbolizing the heat of his fever and "west" the direction of the setting sun, representing the end of life.

"Per fretum febris, by these straits to die,"

The speaker uses the Latin phrase "Per fretum febris" (through the straits of fever) to describe his painful journey toward death.
The word "straits" serves as a pun, meaning both narrow passages and difficult circumstances, illustrating the speaker's suffering.

Stanza 3

I joy, that in these straits I see my west;

For, though their currents yield return to none,

What shall my west hurt me? As west and east

In all flat maps (and I am one) are one,

So death doth touch the resurrection.

"I joy, that in these straits I see my west;"

The speaker finds joy in seeing his "west", which symbolizes his approaching death.
This reflects his acceptance of death as a natural part of life and a passage to a better existence.

"For, though their currents yield return to none, / What shall my west hurt me?"

The speaker acknowledges that death is a one-way journey with no return, yet he is unafraid.
He questions what harm death can do to him, showing his faith that death is not an end but a transition.

"As west and east / In all flat maps (and I am one) are one,"

The speaker compares himself to a flat map, where the furthest points west and east are the same, symbolizing the unity of life and death.
This metaphor suggests that death (west) is inseparable from resurrection (east), reinforcing the idea of rebirth after death.

"So death doth touch the resurrection."

The speaker asserts that death is intimately connected to resurrection, as one leads to the other.
This line encapsulates the poem's central theme: that death is not to be feared but embraced as the gateway to eternal life.

Stanza 4

Is the Pacific Sea my home? Or are

The eastern riches? Is Jerusalem?

Anyan, and Magellan, and Gibraltar,

All straits, and none but straits, are ways to them,

Whether where Japhet dwelt, or Cham, or Shem.

"Is the Pacific Sea my home? Or are / The eastern riches? Is Jerusalem?"

The speaker questions whether his true home is in the vast "Pacific Sea", the "eastern riches", or the holy city of "Jerusalem".
These places represent different spiritual and geographical ideas of paradise or final rest, reflecting the speaker's uncertainty about the exact nature of his afterlife destination.

"Anyan, and Magellan, and Gibraltar, / All straits, and none but straits, are ways to them,"

The speaker refers to significant navigational straits—Anyan, Magellan, and Gibraltar—symbolizing difficult passages that must be navigated to reach these spiritual destinations.
The repetition of "straits" emphasizes the idea that the journey to salvation is narrow and challenging, requiring the soul to pass through trials and tribulations.

"Whether where Japhet dwelt, or Cham, or Shem."

The speaker alludes to the descendants of Noah—Japhet, Cham, and Shem—who represent the different peoples of the world.
This line suggests that regardless of where one comes from, the journey to salvation is universally challenging, symbolized by the straits that must be navigated.

Stanza 5

We think that Paradise and Calvary,

Christ's cross, and Adam's tree, stood in one place;

Look, Lord, and find both Adams met in me;

As the first Adam's sweat surrounds my face,

May the last Adam's blood my soul embrace.

"We think that Paradise and Calvary, / Christ's cross, and Adam's tree, stood in one place;"

The speaker reflects on the belief that the Garden of Eden (Paradise) and Calvary, where Christ was crucified, are spiritually connected or even occupy the same symbolic space.
This connection suggests that the fall of man (Adam's sin) and the redemption through Christ's sacrifice are intertwined events in the history of salvation.

"Look, Lord, and find both Adams met in me;"

The speaker asks God to see in him the union of the "two Adams"—the first Adam, representing humanity's fall into sin, and Christ, the "last Adam," who redeems humanity.
This line emphasizes the speaker's identification with both sin and redemption, acknowledging his need for divine grace.

"As the first Adam's sweat surrounds my face, / May the last Adam's blood my soul embrace."

The speaker compares his physical suffering ("Adam's sweat") to that of the first Adam, who laboured and sweated as a result of sin.
He then contrasts this with the hope that Christ's sacrificial blood ("the last Adam's blood") will cleanse and redeem his soul, completing the process of salvation.

Stanza 6

So, in his purple wrapp'd, receive me, Lord;

By these his thorns, give me his other crown;

And as to others' souls I preach'd thy word,

Be this my text, my sermon to mine own:

"Therefore that he may raise, the Lord throws down."

"So, in his purple wrapp'd, receive me, Lord;"

The speaker asks to be received by God, wrapped in the "purple" of Christ's suffering and royalty, symbolizing both the pain and the glory of the crucifixion.
The use of "purple" connects Christ's sacrifice with royal dignity, implying that the speaker hopes to be cloaked in this divine grace at his death.

"By these his thorns, give me his other crown;"

The speaker refers to the crown of thorns worn by Christ during his crucifixion, asking that through this suffering, he may receive the "other crown"—the crown of eternal life.
This line contrasts earthly suffering with the heavenly reward, emphasizing the redemptive power of Christ's sacrifice.

"And as to others' souls I preach'd thy word, / Be this my text, my sermon to mine own:"

The speaker reflects on his life of preaching to others and now turns inward, delivering a final sermon to his soul.
This shift from outward preaching to self-reflection underscores the personal nature of his spiritual journey and preparation for death.