"A Hymn to God the Father" Outline

Thesis: John Donne uses puns and ambiguous metaphors within a rigidly formatted structure in “A Hymn to God the Father” to reflect the complexity of sin and one’s relationship with God, showing that the concept of sin is not as clear cut as it is often portrayed.

The formulaic structure of the poem contrasts the subjectivity of sin that the diction suggests.     

• At the end of each request for forgiveness, the man tells God that he is not done with his sins, saying, “For I have more” (line 6 and 12). The three lines preceding this each start further from the margin, finally ending with this line almost centered at the end of the stanza. This draws the reader’s eyes through the explanation of his sin to this center point: “For I have more.” This structure repeats for three stanzas along with the ababab rhyme scheme. Sinning thereby appears to follow a very specific pattern. 
• “And having done that, thou hast done. / I have no more” (lines 17-18). This final sentence gives a sense of finality to the poem. Instead of being part of the preceding sentence as is the case with “For I have more” (lines 6 and 12), “I have no more” is a simple sentence. It is not an explanation; it is a statement of fact. This represents the end of his life as well as the end of his sins. However, the line is almost left hanging in the center of the page; although the poem is finished, the structure leads the reader to expect more. There seems to be some continuation after death implied, but the reader is not told what this is.   

 

Donne utilizes puns to imply that sins are not straightforward; there is an inherent complexity that the reader, and God, must consider. 

• After asking God for forgiveness, he cautions, “When thou hast done, thou hast not done” (lines 5 and 11). “Hast done” has a multitude of denotations, including having finished, having accomplished, and having brought about. However, the word ‘dun’ means to demand payment of a debt. Donne’s  use of “done,” although perhaps not literally meaning ‘dun,’ nevertheless creates an association with the concept of indebtedness. The man owes God for the sins he has committed, and he knows that they are not yet “done,” or repaid. By repeating this, the man is essentially acknowledging that over the course of his life, he will invariably continue to sin and require forgiveness, until the final day when he has “no more” sins (line 18).
• He asks God to “Swear by thyself that at my death thy Sun / Shall shine as it shines now” (lines 15-16). The capitalization of “Sun” draws the reader’s attention and leads them to consider another capitalized “Son,” Jesus. The man, therefore, looks to God for assurance that the Son of God will still love him and forgive his sins when he dies. At the same time, he acknowledges that the sun has always shone on him; despite all of his sins that he must ask forgiveness for, God has continued to look favorably upon him.

The metaphors describing the man’s perception of death can be interpreted in multiple ways; there is no definite answer about what will happen when he dies.   

• He fears that he will die “when [he] ha[s] spun / [His] last thread” (lines 13-14). This “thread” may refer to his existence on Earth, alluding to the tapestry of life metaphor sometimes seen in mythology. However, it also conjures up the idea of threads of lies woven together. Sin is often associated with deceit, and, like lies, one sin often leads to another. He has become entangled in his sins, allowing them to become a prominent presence in his life.

• The man considers it a sin that he fears that he will “perish on the shore” (line 14). A shore separates the land from the sea; it has no distinct location. Death and the afterlife are like the horizon across the ocean; we only see them from a distance, never reach them. He is afraid that he will not leave the “shore” and find himself in heaven when he dies, and he considers his doubts a form of sin.