In "Hymn to God My God, in My Sickness," John Donne (1572-1631) explores the consolations of faith and the hope of a Christian afterlife. The poem's speaker, a preacher on his deathbed, reflects that the "straits" (or sufferings) he's going through now are also the "straits" (or narrow sea passages) that lead to a new world. Death, this poem argues, is simply the gateway to heaven—and Christians can take comfort from the idea that Christ himself had to pass through agony on the way to resurrection. Likely written sometimes in the 1620s, this passionate hymn was first printed after Donne's death in the 1635 edition of Poems by J.D.
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1Since I am coming to that holy room,
2 Where, with thy choir of saints for evermore,
3I shall be made thy music; as I come
4 I tune the instrument here at the door,
5 And what I must do then, think now before.
6Whilst my physicians by their love are grown
7 Cosmographers, and I their map, who lie
8Flat on this bed, that by them may be shown
9 That this is my south-west discovery,
10 Per fretum febris, by these straits to die,
11I joy, that in these straits, I see my West;
12 For, though their currents yield return to none,
13What shall my West hurt me? As West and East
14 In all flat maps (and I am one) are one,
15 So death doth touch the resurrection.
16Is the Pacific Sea my home? Or are
17 The Eastern riches? Is Jerusalem?
18Anyan, and Magellan, and Gibraltar,
19 All straits, and none but straits, are ways to them,
20 Whether where Japhet dwelt, or Cham, or Shem.
21We think that Paradise and Calvary,
22 Christ's cross and Adam's tree, stood in one place;
23Look, Lord, and find both Adams met in me;
24 As the first Adam's sweat surrounds my face,
25 May the last Adam's blood my soul embrace.
26So, in his purple wrapp'd, receive me, Lord;
27 By these his thorns give me his other crown;
28And, as to others' souls I preach'd thy word,
29 Be this my text, my sermon to mine own:
30Therefore that he may raise the Lord throws down.
1Since I am coming to that holy room,
2 Where, with thy choir of saints for evermore,
3I shall be made thy music; as I come
4 I tune the instrument here at the door,
5 And what I must do then, think now before.
6Whilst my physicians by their love are grown
7 Cosmographers, and I their map, who lie
8Flat on this bed, that by them may be shown
9 That this is my south-west discovery,
10 Per fretum febris, by these straits to die,
11I joy, that in these straits, I see my West;
12 For, though their currents yield return to none,
13What shall my West hurt me? As West and East
14 In all flat maps (and I am one) are one,
15 So death doth touch the resurrection.
16Is the Pacific Sea my home? Or are
17 The Eastern riches? Is Jerusalem?
18Anyan, and Magellan, and Gibraltar,
19 All straits, and none but straits, are ways to them,
20 Whether where Japhet dwelt, or Cham, or Shem.
21We think that Paradise and Calvary,
22 Christ's cross and Adam's tree, stood in one place;
23Look, Lord, and find both Adams met in me;
24 As the first Adam's sweat surrounds my face,
25 May the last Adam's blood my soul embrace.
26So, in his purple wrapp'd, receive me, Lord;
27 By these his thorns give me his other crown;
28And, as to others' souls I preach'd thy word,
29 Be this my text, my sermon to mine own:
30Therefore that he may raise the Lord throws down.
Since I am coming to that holy room,
Where, with thy choir of saints for evermore,
I shall be made thy music;
as I come
I tune the instrument here at the door,
And what I must do then, think now before.
Whilst my physicians by their love are grown
Cosmographers, and I their map, who lie
Flat on this bed, that by them may be shown
That this is my south-west discovery,
Per fretum febris
, by these straits to die,
I joy, that in these straits, I see my West;
For, though their currents yield return to none,
What shall my West hurt me? As West and East
In all flat maps (and I am one) are one,
So death doth touch the resurrection.
Is the Pacific Sea my home? Or are
The Eastern riches? Is Jerusalem?
Anyan, and Magellan, and Gibraltar,
All straits, and none but straits, are ways to them,
Whether where Japhet dwelt, or Cham, or Shem.
We think that Paradise and Calvary,
Christ's cross and Adam's tree, stood in one place;
Look, Lord, and find both Adams met in me;
As the first Adam's sweat surrounds my face,
May the last Adam's blood my soul embrace.
So, in his purple wrapp'd, receive me, Lord;
By these his thorns give me his other crown;
And, as to others' souls I preach'd thy word,
Be this my text, my sermon to mine own:
Therefore that he may raise the Lord throws down.
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
A Brief Biography — Learn more about John Donne via the British Library.
The Metaphysical Poets — Read about the Metaphysical Poets, the loosely linked group of writers of which Donne was one of the most notable members.
Donne's Portrait — Admire a famous, rather piratical portrait of Donne.
The Poem Aloud — Listen to a reading of the poem.
A Lost Donne Manuscript — Read an article about a recently rediscovered volume of Donne's poetry.