Nativity
Transcript: AP Literature and Composition John Donne Based on a Petrarchan Sonnet: ABBA ABBA CDDC EE Imperfect rhyme: womb & come Smooth, regular rhythm 3 quatrains, 1 couplet Volta, or turn, in the third quatrain Enjambment: Intent/Weak Prevent/The effect He/Which fills Iambic Pentameter: Kiss Him, and with Him into Egypt go, The Sonnet's Form Megan Kelly Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb, Now leaves His well-belov’d imprisonment, There He hath made Himself to His intent Weak enough, now into the world to come; But O, for thee, for Him, hath the inn no room? Yet lay Him in this stall, and from the Orient, Stars and wise men will travel to prevent The effect of Herod’s jealous general doom. Seest thou, my soul, with thy faith’s eyes, how He Which fills all place, yet none holds Him, doth lie? Was not His pity towards thee wondrous high, That would have need to be pitied by thee? Kiss Him, and with Him into Egypt go, With His kind mother, who partakes thy woe. Poetic Devices: "Nativity" John Donne's Poetry Allusion: The whole poem is an allusion to the nativity story Apostrophe: Addresses his soul, telling it to look at Jesus who is everywhere Alliteration: He hath made Himself to His intent The effect of Herod's jealous general doom Elision: well-belov’d, th'Inne Born a Catholic in 1572, a time where there was much anti-Catholic sentiment in England Attended Oxford and Cambridge, didn't receive a degree from either Spent most of his inheritance on women, travel, and books Most of his love poems written at this time Brother's death caused him to question his faith Became a member of Parliament and married Anne More Attacked Catholicism in "Pseudo-Martyr" and converted to Anglicanism Anne died after giving birth to their 12th child "Nativity" was published in 1610 as part of La Corona, the crown. La Corona is seven sonnets linked in that the last line of each poem is the first line of the next. The image of contraction is present in many of Donne's sonnets. Contraction can also be called the "shrinkage of space and time" It is best explained with the example of thinking of a whole year being summed up in a single moment. Contraction is particularly shown in "Nativity" by Donne's use of the baby Jesus to describe the immensity that is faith and God. "Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb" "Which fills all place, yet none holds Him, doth lie?" 1572-1631 Nativity Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb, Now leaves His well-belov’d imprisonment, There He hath made Himself to His intent Weak enough, now into the world to come; But O, for thee, for Him, hath th'Inn no room? Yet lay Him in this stall, and from the Orient, Stars and wise men will travel to prevent The effect of Herod’s jealous general doom. Seest thou, my soul, with thy faith’s eyes, how He Which fills all place, yet none holds Him, doth lie? Was not His pity towards thee wondrous high, That would have need to be pitied by thee? Kiss Him, and with Him into Egypt go, With His kind mother, who partakes thy woe. A Sonnet by John Donne