Holy Sonnet XIII: What If This Present Were The World's Last Night?

John Donne 1572 (London) – 1631 (London)



What if this present were the world's last night?
Mark in my heart, O soul, where thou dost dwell,
The picture of Christ crucified, and tell
Whether that countenance can thee affright,
Tears in his eyes quench the amazing light,
Blood fills his frowns, which from his pierced head fell.
And can that tongue adjudge thee unto hell,
Which prayed forgiveness for his foes' fierce spite?
No, no; but as in my idolatry
I said to all my profane mistresses,
Beauty, of pity, foulness only is
A sign of rigour: so I say to thee,
To wicked spirits are horrid shapes assigned,
This beauteous form assures a piteous mind.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 19, 2023

33 sec read
235

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBACDECFF
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 605
Words 111
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

John Donne

John Donne was an English poet, satirist, lawyer and a cleric in the Church of England. more…

All John Donne poems | John Donne Books

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    "Holy Sonnet XIII: What If This Present Were The World's Last Night?" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/22529/holy-sonnet-xiii:-what-if-this-present-were-the-world's-last-night?>.

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