Unraveling Internal Burdens, Predicament, and a Pursuit of Liberation in John Donne’s Hymns

This paper examines how Donne’s three hymns feature his interrelated perceptions of inner disease, afflictive struggle, and a quest for liberation from such internal ordeals. Resonating confessional articulation of Holy Sonnets regarding his religious dilemmas, Donne’s hymns intensify his persistent concern with wrongdoings and consequential afflictions through the heavy load on his mind. However, he simultaneously shows resilient power not to succumb to the disruption of his faith identity. Donne’s recognitions of sinfulness and affliction encompasses his humane disputation with the Almighty. However, they are embedded with the author’s ultimate recovery of confiding in His presence and imperishable activities, despite his agony necessitated by physical and internal weakness.