Holy
Sonnet XI Spit in my face, you Jews, and pierce my side
by
John Donne
(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase, Analysis & Questions)
Spit
in my face, you Jews, and pierce my side,
Spit
in my face, you Jews, and pierce my side,
Buffet,
and scoff, scourge, and crucify me,
For
I have sinned, and sinned, and only He
Who
could do no iniquity hath died:
But
by my death can not be satisfied
My
sins, which pass the Jews’ impiety:
They
killed once an inglorious man, but I
Crucify
Him daily, being now glorified.
Oh
let me then His strange love still admire:
Kings
pardon, but He bore our punishment.
And
Jacob came clothed in vile harsh attire
But
to supplant, and with gainful intent:
God
clothed Himself in vile man's flesh, that so
He
might be weak enough to suffer woe.
Summary
Lines
1–4:
The
speaker opens with a dramatic command, inviting the Jews to spit on him, strike
him, mock him, whip him, and crucify him. He acknowledges that he is the one
who has truly sinned, repeatedly and deeply. Yet, it was Jesus—who had
committed no sin—who died. Donne sets up a contrast between the speaker’s own
guilt and Christ’s innocence.
Lines
5–8:
The
speaker admits that his own death would not be enough to pay for his sins—they
are greater even than what the Jews did in crucifying Jesus. The Jews crucified
Jesus once, when He appeared humble and inglorious. But the speaker emphasizes
that he crucifies Jesus daily, even now that Christ is glorified in
heaven—likely meaning through ongoing sin and spiritual neglect.
Lines
9–10:
Here,
the speaker marvels at the extraordinary nature of Christ’s love. Unlike
earthly kings who merely forgive wrongdoers, Jesus went beyond forgiveness and
actually endured punishment in place of sinners. The speaker calls this
“strange love” because it is so unlike what we experience in human
relationships.
Lines
11–12:
The
speaker recalls the biblical story of Jacob, who disguised himself in rough
clothing to deceive his father Isaac and gain a blessing intended for Esau.
Jacob's motive was selfish gain through deceit.
Lines
13–14:
The
poem ends by showing a contrast: God also “disguised” Himself, by taking on
weak, human flesh—not for deception or gain, but so that He could suffer and
redeem humanity. By becoming man, God allowed Himself to be vulnerable enough
to experience pain and death.
Line-by-line
Paraphrase
Spit
in my face, you Jews, and pierce my side,
Paraphrase:
Go
ahead, you Jews—spit on me and stab my side.
Line
2
Buffet,
and scoff, scourge, and crucify me,
Paraphrase:
Hit
me, mock me, whip me, and nail me to a cross.
Line
3
For
I have sinned, and sinned, and only He
Paraphrase:
Because
I’ve sinned over and over—and only Jesus,
Line
4
Who
could do no iniquity hath died:
Paraphrase:
Who
never did anything wrong—has died (for those sins).
Line
5
But
by my death can not be satisfied
Paraphrase:
But
even if I were to die, it wouldn’t be enough
Line
6
My
sins, which pass the Jews’ impiety:
Paraphrase:
To
repay for my sins, which are worse than what the Jews did.
Line
7
They
killed once an inglorious man, but I
Paraphrase:
They
killed Jesus once when He appeared weak and humble—but I
Line
8
Crucify
Him daily, being now glorified.
Paraphrase:
Crucify
Him again and again through my daily sins—even though He’s now in glory.
Line
9
Oh
let me then His strange love still admire:
Paraphrase:
So
let me keep admiring His amazing, mysterious love.
Line
10
Kings
pardon, but He bore our punishment.
Paraphrase:
Earthly
kings forgive wrongs—but Jesus actually took the punishment for our sins.
Line
11
And
Jacob came clothed in vile harsh attire
Paraphrase:
Jacob
once dressed in rough, ugly clothes
Line
12
But
to supplant, and with gainful intent:
Paraphrase:
To
trick his father and steal a blessing for himself.
Line
13
God
clothed Himself in vile man's flesh, that so
Paraphrase:
But
God put on weak, human flesh
Line
14
He
might be weak enough to suffer woe.
Paraphrase:
So
that He could become vulnerable enough to suffer pain and die for us.
Analysis
in Detail
1.
Context and Overall Theme
John
Donne, a 17th-century metaphysical poet and Anglican priest, wrote this sonnet
as part of his Holy Sonnets—a collection deeply concerned with sin, redemption,
divine love, and human unworthiness. This particular sonnet reflects Donne’s
intense self-awareness of his own sin and contrasts it with the purity and
sacrificial love of Christ. It explores themes of guilt, personal
responsibility, theological irony, and the paradox of divine mercy.
2.
Tone and Speaker’s Attitude
The
tone is fiercely penitential and confrontational, opening with a startling
command to the Jews to repeat their cruel treatment—not on Christ, but on the
speaker himself. There is a mix of self-loathing, awe, and spiritual urgency.
Donne does not shy away from vivid violence; rather, he invites it, because he
sees himself as more deserving of it than Christ was.
The
speaker takes full responsibility for Christ’s suffering: while the historical
Jews crucified Christ once, he (the speaker) does so daily through ongoing sin.
This is a deeply personal confession. The effect is to turn attention away from
blaming others (like the Jews, a controversial subject in Donne’s time) and
toward inner reckoning.
3.
Use of Dramatic Irony and Shock
The
poem begins with a line that was meant to shock the original audience:
“Spit
in my face, you Jews, and pierce my side,”
It
evokes the Passion of Christ but inverts it by asking for the violence to be
turned on the sinner himself. Donne leverages the image of Christ’s crucifixion
but internalizes it: he believes his sin is worse than that of those who
physically crucified Jesus.
There
is a kind of spiritual irony here: Donne condemns his own heart as a crucifier
of Christ, though Christ has already risen and is glorified. This plays on the
idea of spiritual crucifixion—the repeated wounding of Christ through willful
sin, despite full knowledge of His sacrifice.
4.
Contrasts and Paradoxes
Donne
uses strong contrasts:
Christ’s
innocence vs. the speaker’s sinfulness
The
one-time crucifixion vs. the speaker’s daily crucifixion of Christ
Earthly
kings’ pardon vs. Christ’s self-sacrifice
Jacob’s
deceptive disguise vs. God’s humble incarnation
These
contrasts highlight Christian paradoxes:
The
sinless One dies for sinners.
God
becomes weak to defeat death.
Human
sin crucifies Christ even now, long after His ascension.
The
Jacob analogy is especially poignant. Jacob clothed himself deceptively to
receive a blessing. God, by contrast, “clothed Himself in vile man’s flesh,”
not for deceit or personal gain, but to suffer and redeem.
5.
Theological Depth and Reflection on Sin
The
poem delves deeply into Christian theology, particularly the ideas of:
Original
Sin and ongoing personal guilt
Substitutionary
atonement (Christ dies in the place of sinners)
The
Incarnation (God becoming human)
Daily
repentance and confession
The
poet sees sin not as a past event, but as a living, ongoing betrayal. Every new
sin is another strike against Christ. This evokes the idea in Hebrews 6:6:
“They
crucify the Son of God afresh.”
The
speaker feels he is worse than the Jews who killed Jesus, not because of
anti-Jewish sentiment, but because he sins with full knowledge of Christ’s
divinity and sacrifice—making it more deliberate.
6.
Poetic Devices and Structure
Form:
A Petrarchan sonnet (14 lines, iambic pentameter), divided into an octave (8
lines) and a sestet (6 lines).
Octave:
Focuses on guilt, sin, and the speaker’s complicity in crucifying Christ.
Sestet:
Shifts to the wonder of Christ’s love and the paradox of the Incarnation.
Metaphysical
features include:
Vivid,
shocking imagery (spitting, scourging, piercing)
Intellectual
comparisons (Jacob vs. Christ)
Philosophical
and theological reflection embedded in emotional intensity
7.
The Final Image: God Becoming Weak
The
last two lines resolve the theological puzzle:
“God
clothed Himself in vile man's flesh, that so
He
might be weak enough to suffer woe.”
This
is a stunning closing. It ties the poem together: the speaker’s unworthiness,
Christ’s undeserved suffering, and the great mystery of the Incarnation. God
chose weakness—not for self-gain, but so He could suffer on behalf of humanity.
It reflects the heart of Christian belief: love through humility and sacrifice.
Conclusion
John
Donne’s Holy Sonnet XI is a spiritually intense reflection on personal sin and
divine mercy. It uses bold imagery, theological paradox, and literary
brilliance to dramatize the Christian understanding of redemption. The poem
moves from guilt to grace, from despair to awe, and from human failure to
divine compassion.
Possible
Exam Questions
Q1.
Why does the speaker invite the Jews to spit on him and crucify him?
Q2.
How does Donne express his personal guilt in the poem?
Q3.
Explain the meaning of the line: "Crucify Him daily, being now
glorified."
Q4.
How does the speaker compare his sins to those of the Jews?
Q5.
Why is the love of Christ described as “strange” in the poem?
Q6.
How does John Donne use biblical allusion to deepen the meaning of the sonnet?
Q7.
Discuss the role of paradox in Holy Sonnet XI.
Q8.
How does the reference to Jacob function within the poem’s structure?
Q9.
Examine how Donne explores the concept of divine justice and mercy in this
sonnet.
Q10.
What is the significance of the final couplet in terms of the Incarnation?
Q11.
In what ways does Holy Sonnet XI present sin as an ongoing act?
Q12.
Compare Donne’s portrayal of guilt and redemption in this sonnet with any other
Holy Sonnet.
Q13.
Analyze how John Donne combines emotional intensity with theological reflection
in Holy Sonnet XI.
Q14.
Explore how the poem dramatizes the Christian paradox: the innocent suffers for
the guilty.
Multiple
Choice Questions (MCQ)
Q15.
Who is the speaker asking to spit in his face in the first line?
A)
Romans
B) Pharisees
C)
Jews
D)
Disciples
🡺 Answer: C) Jews
Q16.
What act does the speaker say he commits daily?
A)
Denying Christ
B)
Mocking Christ
C)
Crucifying Christ
D)
Betraying Christ
🡺 Answer: C) Crucifying
Christ
Q17.
What biblical figure is mentioned as having worn “vile harsh attire”?
A)
Moses
B)
Jacob
C)
Joseph
D)
Esau
🡺 Answer: B) Jacob
Q18.
According to the poem, how did God “clothe” Himself?
A)
In royal robes
B)
In angelic brightness
C)
In man’s flesh
D)
In sackcloth
🡺 Answer: C) In man’s flesh
5.
Fill in the Blanks
Q19.
“Spit in my face, you Jews, and _______ my side.”
🡺 Answer: pierce
Q20.
The speaker says he has “______ and sinned,” acknowledging deep guilt.
🡺 Answer: sinned
Q21.
The Jews killed Christ when He was “________,” but the speaker crucifies Him
“daily.”
🡺 Answer: inglorious
Q22.
“God clothed Himself in vile man’s flesh, that so He might be ______ enough to
suffer woe.”
🡺 Answer: weak
6.
True or False
Q23.
The speaker believes his sins are lesser than the Jews’ crucifixion of Jesus.
🡺 Answer: False
Q24.
Donne refers to Jacob’s story in the Old Testament to illustrate divine
deception.
🡺 Answer: False (Jacob
deceived; God did not)
Q25.
The poem is written in Petrarchan sonnet form.
🡺 Answer: True
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