Holy Sonnet V ('I Am a Little World Made Cunngingly')

Context

• Holy Sonnet V is part of John Donne's series of Holy Sonnets, likely composed between 1609 and 1610 during a period of deep religious introspection.

• The poem reflects Donne's struggle with his sense of sinfulness and his intense preoccupation with salvation, repentance, and the human soul's relationship with God.

  

• Donne was known for his complex metaphysical poetry that often explores themes of faith, mortality, and divine judgment, with Holy Sonnet V exemplifying these concerns.

Structure and Form

Form, Meter, and Rhyme

• The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet, consisting of 14 lines divided into an octave and a sestet.
• The rhyme scheme follows ABBA ABBA for the octave and CDDCEE for the sestet, creating a shift in tone between the two sections, from reflection on sin to a plea for divine intervention.
• The meter is primarily iambic pentameter, which gives the poem a steady, contemplative rhythm, appropriate for the introspective and penitential nature of the speaker's meditation.

Speaker and Setting

• The speaker is a reflective and penitent soul, likely a representation of Donne himself, grappling with his sinfulness and seeking divine forgiveness.
• The setting is abstract and spiritual, focusing on the internal conflict within the speaker's soul rather than a specific physical location. The poem delves into the speaker's inner world, where he confronts his sins and prays for redemption.

Poetic Devices

Metaphor:

• Donne uses an extended metaphor of the speaker's soul as a "little world" made up of both physical and spiritual elements, reflecting the Renaissance belief in the microcosm.
• The speaker describes, "I am a little world made cunningly / Of elements, and an angelic sprite," emphasizing the dual nature of human existence.

Allusion:

• The poem alludes to Christian theology, particularly the concepts of original sin and divine judgment, as the speaker acknowledges his spiritual corruption and need for purification.
• The speaker pleads, "But black sin hath betrayed to endless night / My world's both parts, and oh, both parts must die," alluding to the idea that sin leads to spiritual death.

Paradox:

• The poem employs paradox to explore the simultaneous existence of life and death within the speaker, illustrating the tension between sin and salvation.
• The speaker reflects, "But O, self-murder, added to sin, / Does not give new life, but nullifies what's within," highlighting the contradiction of seeking life through death.

Imagery:

• Donne uses vivid imagery to describe the process of spiritual purification, comparing the cleansing of the soul to the purging of the earth by fire.
• The speaker prays, "Pour new seas in mine eyes, that so I might / Drown my world with my weeping earnestly," using the imagery of a flood to symbolize repentance.

Key Themes

The Duality of Human Nature

• The poem explores the theme of the duality of human nature, emphasizing the conflict between the physical and spiritual aspects of the self.
• The speaker describes himself as, "a little world made cunningly / Of elements, and an angelic sprite," highlighting the tension between body and soul.

The Consequences of Sin

• Donne reflects on the consequences of sin, portraying it as a force that corrupts the soul and leads to spiritual death.
• The speaker laments, "But black sin hath betrayed to endless night / My world's both parts," indicating that sin has tainted both his physical and spiritual existence.

The Hope for Divine Purification

• The poem expresses hope for divine purification, with the speaker pleading for God to cleanse his soul and restore him to spiritual health.
  • The speaker prays, "Burn me, O Lord, with a fiery zeal / Of Thee and Thy house," seeking purification through divine fire, a symbol of spiritual renewal.

Similar Poems

• "Holy Sonnet XIV: Batter my heart": This poem also explores themes of sin and divine intervention, with the speaker pleading for God to forcibly purify his soul.
• "A Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness": This poem, similar to Holy Sonnet V, deals with the theme of preparing the soul for death and seeking divine grace in the face of sin and mortality.
• "Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward": Like Holy Sonnet V, this poem reflects on sin and repentance, as the speaker contemplates Christ's sacrifice and his own need for redemption.

Line by Line Analysis

Lines 1-4

I am a little world made cunningly

Of elements and an angelic sprite,

But black sin hath betray'd to endless night

My world's both parts, and oh both parts must die.

"I am a little world made cunningly / Of elements and an angelic sprite,"

• The speaker describes himself as a "little world", a microcosm, composed of both physical elements and a divine spirit ("angelic sprite").
• The phrase "made cunningly" suggests that this world was created with skill and care, emphasizing the intricate nature of human existence, blending the physical and spiritual.

"But black sin hath betray'd to endless night / My world's both parts, and oh both parts must die."

• The speaker laments that sin has corrupted both the physical ("elements") and spiritual ("angelic sprite") aspects of his being, plunging them into "endless night", a metaphor for spiritual darkness and death.
• The use of "both parts" underscores the totality of sin's impact, affecting the entirety of his existence, and leading to the inevitable conclusion that both his body and soul are doomed unless they are redeemed.

Lines 5-9

You which beyond that heaven which was most high

Have found new spheres, and of new lands can write,

Pour new seas in mine eyes, that so I might

Drown my world with my weeping earnestly,

Or wash it, if it must be drown'd no more.

"You which beyond that heaven which was most high / Have found new spheres, and of new lands can write,"

• The speaker addresses God, who is capable of exploring and creating new realms beyond the highest heavens.
• This acknowledges God's omnipotence and creative power, suggesting that only God can discover and transform new worlds, including the speaker's corrupted soul.

"Pour new seas in mine eyes, that so I might / Drown my world with my weeping earnestly,"

• The speaker asks God to fill his eyes with "new seas" of tears so that he might drown his sinful world through sincere repentance.
• This metaphor of drowning symbolizes the desire to cleanse and purge the world of his soul through intense sorrow and regret for his sins.

"Or wash it, if it must be drown'd no more."

• The speaker considers an alternative to drowning, asking that his soul be washed clean if destruction ("drown'd no more") is not necessary.
• This reflects a yearning for purification and redemption, where the soul can be renewed through divine intervention rather than annihilation.

Lines 10-14

But oh it must be burnt; alas the fire

Of lust and envy have burnt it heretofore,

And made it fouler; let their flames retire,

And burn me O Lord, with a fiery zeal

Of thee and thy house, which doth in eating heal.

"But oh it must be burnt; alas the fire / Of lust and envy have burnt it heretofore,"

• The speaker realizes that his soul must be "burnt" rather than drowned, acknowledging that the fires of sin, particularly "lust and envy", have already scorched and corrupted him.
• The repetition of "burnt" emphasizes the destructive power of these sins, which have left his soul in need of purification through a different, holier fire.

"And made it fouler; let their flames retire,"

• Sin has made the speaker's soul "fouler", worsening its condition; therefore, he asks for the sinful flames to "retire," or be extinguished.
• This line expresses the desire to remove the influence of sin so that the process of true purification can begin.

"And burn me O Lord, with a fiery zeal / Of thee and thy house, which doth in eating heal."

• The speaker pleads with God to burn him with "fiery zeal", a divine passion that will purify and heal his corrupted soul.
• The paradox of "eating heal" suggests that God's consuming fire, while painful, ultimately leads to spiritual healing and renewal, much like a cleansing fire that purges impurities and restores purity.