A Hymn to God the Father
‘A Hymn to God the Father’ by John Donne is a well-loved poem about God and religion. It contains a speaker’s prayers that he be forgiven a series of unnamed sins.
A Lecture upon the Shadow
‘A Lecture upon the Shadow’ by John Donne depicts a deteriorating relationship. It at first appeared to be blossoming but has since fallen apart.
A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy’s Day
‘A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy’s Day’ by John Donne is one of the poet’s best poems about love and loss. It depicts the speaker’s grief after the death of someone he loved.
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
‘A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning’ by John Donne is an incredibly famous poem. In it, Donne uses one of his famous conceits to depict the steadfast nature of his love.
Air and Angels
‘Air and Angels’ by John Donne depicts the unsual nature of the speaker’s love. He knows they have to come togther and allow their love to encircle one another.
Batter my Heart (Holy Sonnet 14)
‘Batter my Heart,’ also known as ‘Holy Sonnet 14,’ is one of Donne’s best religious poems. It is directed at God and asks him to take hold of the speaker.
Death, be not Proud (Holy Sonnet 10)
‘Death, be not Proud’ by John Donne is one of the poet’s best poems about death. It tells the listener not to fear Death as he keeps morally corrupt company and only leads to Heaven.
For Whom the Bell Tolls/No Man is an Island
In ‘For Whom the Bell tolls,’ John Donne explores themes of life, death, and the human condition. He suggests that no man is an “island.”
Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward
‘Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward’ by John Donne is a poem about spiritual transformation. It also depicts the speaker’s fear of confronting God.
Holy Sonnet 17 (XVII)
Holy Sonnet 17 (XVII) by John Donne is a religious poem. It takes an affectionate tone as the speaker addresses his love for God.
Holy Sonnet IV
John Donne’s ‘Holy Sonnet IV’ (O, my black soul) is one of his famous religious sonnets in which he talks about a speaker’s sinful soul. This poem is full of vivid imagery and symbolism.
Holy Sonnet VII: At the round earth’s imagin’d corners, blow
Holy Sonnet 7, ‘At the round earth’s imagin’d corners, blow’ contains a speaker’s description of Judgment Day and an appeal to God to forgive him his sins.
Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness
‘Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness’ by John Donne is written from the perspective of a dying man hoping to gain access to heaven.
I Am a Little World Made Cunningly
‘I Am a Little World Made Cunningly’ by John Donne contains a speaker’s prayer to God that both the good and bad of his soul be purged with fire.
Lovers’ Infiniteness
John Donne’s poetry tends to have love, death, and religion as central themes. ‘Lovers’ Infiniteness’ is no exception, exploring the infiniteness in love.
Song: Go and catch a falling star
‘Song: Go and catch a falling star’ by John Donne tells of a speaker’s belief that there are no women in the world who are both beautiful and faithful.
The Canonization
‘The Canonization’ by John Donne describes a transcendent love that eventually evolves into the idealized baseline for all other aspiring lovers.