Ok, rant over. In the documentary, Simon Schama talked to John Carey, author of the best book on Donne that I've read (John Donne : Life, Mind & Art), & Fiona Shaw read the poems. It sent me back to my books of Donne's poetry & I've been reading the Holy Sonnets & the religious poetry that Donne wrote in his later years after he became Dean of St Paul's. A Hymn to God the Father is one of my favourites. It's a serious poem about repentance & forgiveness but he can't resist the pun on his surname & the pun on Son/sun that is so reminiscent of the dazzling wordplay of the songs & sonnets.
Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun,
Which was my sin, though it were done before?
Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run,
And do run still, though still I do deplore?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
For I have more.
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won
Others to sin, and made my sin their door?
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two, but wallow'd in, a score?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
For I have more.
I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun
My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;
But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son
Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore;
And, having done that, thou hast done;
I fear no more.
You need never apologise for more Donne! Lovely.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Maybe I should just make every week's Sunday Poet John Donne? It would keep me going for a very long time.
DeleteI've liked the Metaphysical poets since I studied them as part of my OU degree years ago. Donne and Marvell are particular favourites. I watched the last of the four plays in the Hollow Crown series last night. I've enjoyed them all in different ways but particularly liked Richard II and Henry V although I thought Jeremy Irons as Henry IV was wonderful. I hope you get to see them soon and I hope that the BBC will carry on through the rest of the plays to Richard III. I remember sitting up late as a teenager in the 60s to watch all the plays that were filmed for TV then and being absolutely riveted by by them:)
ReplyDeleteI'm very keen to see the Shakespeare so hopefully they'll either turn up on iPlayer or on the ABC. I'd love to see a new version of RIII as well. Fingers crossed! I've always loved the Metaphysical poets too. We studied them at school & it didn't spoil them for me which makes a nice change.
DeleteI am not much of a poetry reader, but this was lovely! I wouldn't mind him being your resident Sunday poet, I think! :)
ReplyDeleteMichelle, I'm seriously thinking about it! I'd have so much choice from the romantic but spiky love poetry to the beautiful religious poetry & then there are the sermons...
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