Holy Sonnets

E518686

Holy Sonnets is a renowned sequence of intense, metaphysical religious poems by John Donne that wrestles with themes of sin, death, and divine judgment.

All labels observed (4)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf metaphysical poetry
poetry collection
sonnet sequence
addressesTopic divine mercy
fear of damnation
personal salvation
the afterlife
approximateCompositionDate c. 1609–1610
author John Donne
canonicalStatus major work of metaphysical poetry
containsPoem Holy Sonnet I: Thou hast made me
linked to: Holy Sonnets

Holy Sonnet IX: If poisonous minerals
linked to: Holy Sonnets

Holy Sonnet VII: At the round earth's imagin'd corners
Holy Sonnet X: Death, be not proud
Holy Sonnet XIV: Batter my heart, three-person'd God
linked to: Batter my heart

Holy Sonnet XVII: Since she whom I lov'd
countryOfOrigin England
firstPublicationDate 1633
firstPublicationForm posthumous collection of Donne’s poems
form sonnet
genre religious poetry
influenced later religious lyric poetry in English
language English
literaryDevice apostrophe
conceit
extended metaphor
paradox
personification
literaryMovement Metaphysical poets
linked to: Metaphysical poetry
mainTheme death
divine judgment
divine love
doubt
faith
grace
mortality
repentance
resurrection
salvation
sin
numberOfPoems varies by manuscript tradition
period early 17th century
religiousContext Anglicanism
Christianity
rhymeScheme varied sonnet rhyme schemes
studiedIn English literature courses
tone anxious
intense
meditative
penitential
typicalNumberOfPoems 19

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

John Donne notableWork Holy Sonnets
Doctor Atomic usesTextFrom John Donne’s Holy Sonnets
linked to: Holy Sonnets
Holy Sonnets containsPoem Holy Sonnet I: Thou hast made me
linked to: Holy Sonnets
Holy Sonnets containsPoem Holy Sonnet IX: If poisonous minerals
linked to: Holy Sonnets