A Hymn to God the Father

Plot: The poem is a prayer by John Donne to God, confessing his sins and asking for forgiveness and redemption.
Structure & Language Techniques: The poem uses a rhymed hymn-like structure and incorporates metaphor, paradox, pun and personification to express the speaker’s guilt and plea for mercy.
Themes & Linking Poems: Themes include repentance, mortality, divine judgement, and redemption, linking it to other Donne poems like Batter my Heart and Death be not Proud.
Key Quotes: Some memorable lines from the poem are “When thou hast done, thou has not done,” addressing God’s endless work of forgiveness and “And swear by thyself, that at my death thy son shall shine as he shines now and heretofore,” a plea for continued divine mercy.
Poet & Context: John Donne was a 17th-century English poet and cleric known for his metaphysical poetry; A Hymn to God the Father reflects his deep Christian beliefs and his own struggles with sin and redemption.