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'Let them sleepe': Donne's personal allusion in 'Holy Sonnet IV.' (John Donne)

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From: Papers on Language & Literature
Date: 19930622
Author:Hester, M. Thomas

John Donne's 'Holy Sonnet IV' has a reference to St. John's vision which offers a deeper understanding of the frustration at the end of the poem. The reference recalls Donne's personal attempts to find his position in the divine scheme. The poem's urgency and immediacy could have been derived from Donne's personal dilemma of becoming an 'Arminian' without feeling like a traitor towards his family with its strong Catholic martyr traditions. 'Holy Sonnet IV' encapsulates the theme of the whole work in capturing Donne's exploration of different perceptions of grace.

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