The poem, "Holy Sonnet XIV" was written by John Donne and published in the year of 1633, two years after his death. Donne was born and raised as a Catholic, later becoming an Anglican cleric. The Christian faith is clearly reflected in his writings, and his "Holy Sonnet XIV", is a sinner's prayer to God. Through the utilization of diction use and literary devices such as allusion and imagery, Donne draws the audience into intimately experiencing the speaker's desperation, despair, and devotion as shown throughout the poem. The speaker appears to be a lowly sinner who is shackled to his sins and cries out to God to lift him out of his immorality and bondage. The poem is filled with emotional turmoil, revealing the speaker's intense feelings
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The speaker describes himself as a town that has been taken and ensnared: "I, like a usurp'd town, t'another due" (line 5). This implies that he once belonged to another, potentially meaning God. Who or what has seized him from God is not revealed. Moreover, this connects to the first line's usage of "batter", as this word brings to mind an impenetrable fortress that needs a battering ram to be broken into. The speaker says in line 6, "labour to admit you [God], but oh, to no end"-- showing that he struggles to allow God in. It is expressed that he fails to do so, the tone and pause within "but oh, to no end" expressing utter despair and dismay at his own failure. The door [to his heart and soul] is still closed. In the next line, the word "viceroy" is used; this word usually means a local ruler. In the previous lines, the speaker has hinted at the imagery of a fortress and described himself as an usurped town-- so in this context, it seems that the viceroy is his ruler, which is "Reason". When referring to "viceroy", the speaker says "your viceroy", implying that it works for God. In other words, it is something that comes from God and is a servant of God. The speaker goes on to say that Reason should have defended him but was captivated and proven to be weak-willed and easily swayed. However, what Reason should have defended him from and what it was captivated by is not mentioned yet until a couple of lines
The speaker describes himself as a town that has been taken and ensnared: "I, like a usurp'd town, t'another due" (line 5). This implies that he once belonged to another, potentially meaning God. Who or what has seized him from God is not revealed. Moreover, this connects to the first line's usage of "batter", as this word brings to mind an impenetrable fortress that needs a battering ram to be broken into. The speaker says in line 6, "labour to admit you [God], but oh, to no end"-- showing that he struggles to allow God in. It is expressed that he fails to do so, the tone and pause within "but oh, to no end" expressing utter despair and dismay at his own failure. The door [to his heart and soul] is still closed. In the next line, the word "viceroy" is used; this word usually means a local ruler. In the previous lines, the speaker has hinted at the imagery of a fortress and described himself as an usurped town-- so in this context, it seems that the viceroy is his ruler, which is "Reason". When referring to "viceroy", the speaker says "your viceroy", implying that it works for God. In other words, it is something that comes from God and is a servant of God. The speaker goes on to say that Reason should have defended him but was captivated and proven to be weak-willed and easily swayed. However, what Reason should have defended him from and what it was captivated by is not mentioned yet until a couple of lines