Compare and Contrast George Herbert’s ‘Love’ with Donne’s ‘Holy Sonnet’ Essay Example

he starts to use imagery.ParadoxDonne and Herbert share similar attitudes.

We see this portrayed in the way that both men use abstract nouns "Death" and "love" two powerful entities that can not be proved. We see Agape (unconditional love) through Herbert's "love" via the semantic field of religion. This is clear to see when he uses the nouns "Soul" and "sin". The very opening line of "love" suggests Herbert is talking to Jesus "Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back". Throughout the poem we notice many religious connotations.We see a clear reference to Genesis in the Old Testament, about Gods creation when Herbert says "Who made the eyes but I".

This creates the feeling that Jesus is now speaking which links in with the final stanza as it reiterates the religious connotations in the rhyming couplet at the end "You must sit down" says Love, "and taste my meat". Through this metaphor this signifies the 'Last Supper' transubstantion of the bread and wine into the blood and body of Jesus.The ending line of Donne's Holy Sonnet prompts us of St Paul's letter to the Corinthians (1 Cortinthaian-16, vs. 54-56).

Here we begin to see the similarity between the two men and their religious values as Donne is reiterating the religious theme from Herbert's "Love".Donne breaks the iambic pentameter towards the end on the Sonnet when he says "Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men". On the other hand Herbert keeps the rhythm of the poem the equal. Donne also uses ellipsis in two instances of his Sonnet "Much pleasure; than from thee much more must flow" and "Rest of their

bones, and soul's delivery".

Also Donne uses the inferior pronoun "thou" when approaching death, however Herbert uses the objective personal pronoun "me" to describe the effect of love on him.The poet in fact personifies death, speaking directly to Death as if it were a person. He accuses Death of having absolutely nothing to boast about because, in the end, Death has no power whatever. Although Herbert seems accept love and does not challenge it "So I did sit and eat".