''Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, and severall steps in my Sicknes'' is a prose work by the English
metaphysical poet
The term Metaphysical poets was coined by the critic Samuel Johnson to describe a loose group of 17th-century English poets whose work was characterised by the inventive use of metaphysical conceit, conceits, and by a greater emphasis on the spo ...
and
cleric
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
in the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
John Donne, published in 1624. It covers death, rebirth and the Elizabethan concept of sickness as a visit from God, reflecting internal sinfulness. The ''Devotions'' were written in December 1623 as Donne recovered from a serious but unknown illness – believed to be
relapsing fever
Relapsing fever is a vector-borne disease caused by infection with certain bacteria in the genus '' Borrelia'', which is transmitted through the bites of lice or soft-bodied ticks (genus ''Ornithodoros'').
Signs and symptoms
Most people who ar ...
or
typhus
Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure. ...
. Having come close to death, he described the illness he had suffered from and his thoughts throughout his recovery with "near super-human speed and concentration". Registered by 9 January, and published soon after, the ''Devotions'' is one of only seven works attributed to Donne which were printed during his lifetime.
The ''Devotions'' is divided into 23 parts, each consisting of 3 sub-sections, called the 'meditation', the "expostulation' and a prayer. The 23 sections are chronologically ordered, each covering his thoughts and reflections on a single day of the illness. Famously, the 17th devotion, ''
Meditation XVII'', includes the phrases "No man is an ''Iland''" (often modernised as "
No man is an island") and "
...for whom the ''bell'' tolls, it tolls for thee." The work as a whole is considered similar to 17th-century
devotional writing generally, and particularly to Donne's ''
Holy Sonnets
The ''Holy Sonnets''—also known as the ''Divine Meditations'' or ''Divine Sonnets''—are a series of nineteen poems by the English poet John Donne (1572–1631). The sonnets were first published in 1633—two years after Donne's death. The ...
''. Some academics have also identified political strands running through the work, possibly from a polemic
Arminian denunciation of
Puritanism
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. P ...
to advise the young
Prince Charles.
Background
![John Donne by Isaac Oliver](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/John_Donne_by_Isaac_Oliver.jpg)
Donne was born in 1572 to a wealthy
ironmonger
Ironmongery originally referred, first, to the manufacture of iron goods and, second, to the place of sale of such items for domestic rather than industrial use. In both contexts, the term has expanded to include items made of steel, aluminium ...
and a warden of the
Worshipful Company of Ironmongers
The Worshipful Company of Ironmongers is one of the Great Twelve Livery Company, livery companies of the City of London, incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1463.
History
The Ironmongers, who were originally known as the Ferroners, were in ...
, and his wife Elizabeth. After his father's death when he was four, Donne was trained as a gentleman scholar; his family used the money his father had made to hire tutors who taught him grammar, rhetoric, mathematics, history and foreign languages. Elizabeth remarried to a wealthy doctor, ensuring the family remained comfortable; as a result, despite being the son of an ironmonger and portraying himself in his early poetry as an outsider, Donne refused to accept that he was anything other than a gentleman. After study at
Hart Hall, Oxford
Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colleg ...
, Donne's private education saw him study at
Lincoln's Inn, one of the
Inns of Court
The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. There are four Inns of Court – Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple.
All barristers must belong to one of them. They have ...
, where he occupied his time with history, poetry, theology and "Humane learning and languages". It was at Lincoln's Inn that Donne first began writing poetry, looking upon it as "a life-sign or minor irritation" rather than something that defined him.
In November 1623, Donne fell seriously ill. London was the scene of a 'spotted' or relapsing fever, which hit its victims unexpectedly and left them conscious but physically helpless. What disease Donne suffered from is not known. Writers have suggested
typhus
Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure. ...
as a likely culprit, but Donne's writings on the subject reference multiple diseases. Clara Lander, writing in ''
SEL: Studies in English Literature 1500–1900'', suggests that the typhus may have exacerbated the
enteritis
Enteritis is inflammation of the small intestine. It is most commonly caused by food or drink contaminated with pathogenic microbes,Dugdale, David C., IIII, and George F Longretc"Enteritis" MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, 18 October 2008. Access ...
Donne had suffered from since childhood. Donne was of the opinion – as were many others of the age – that illness reflected a state of internal sinfulness, and constituted a visit from God. Despite being ordered to rest, he insisted that a pen and paper be given to him, and he wrote down his impressions of the disease. After his recovery, in December, these became ''Devotions upon Emergent Occasions'', one of his few published prose works, and also one of only seven printed works of which he acknowledged authorship. Written with "near super-human speed and concentration", the work was registered with the
Stationers' Company
The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers (until 1937 the Worshipful Company of Stationers), usually known as the Stationers' Company, is one of the livery companies of the City of London. The Stationers' Company was formed in ...
by 9 January 1624. It was published that year, and again in 1634 and 1638. The full, albeit rarely used, title is ''Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, and severall steps in my Sicknes''.
Contents
Structurally, ''Devotions'' consists of 23 chronologically ordered sections – representing the length, in days, of Donne's illness. Each one contains a 'meditation', in which he describes a stage of his illness, an 'expostulation' containing his reaction to that stage, and finally a prayer in which he makes peace with the disease. In the five editions published during the 17th century, the book opens with a Latin preface, titled "Stationes, sive Periodi in Morbo, ad quas referuntur Meditationes sequentes". Also 23 sections long, each line of the preface is followed by what purports to be an English translation of the Latin.
Joan Webber Joan may refer to:
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argues that these lines constitute a poem, in
dactylic hexameter
Dactylic hexameter (also known as heroic hexameter and the meter of epic) is a form of meter or rhythmic scheme frequently used in Ancient Greek and Latin poetry. The scheme of the hexameter is usually as follows (writing – for a long syllable ...
;
David Novarr disputes this, arguing that ''Stationes'' "has none of Donne's customary wit, drama, and imagination". Instead, it represents the
Stations of the Cross, or ''supplicatio stativa''. Mary Arshagouni, writing in ''
Modern Philology
''Modern Philology'' is a literary journal that was established in 1903. It publishes scholarly articles on literature, literary scholarship, history, and criticism in all modern world languages and book reviews of recent books as well as review ...
'', argues that the ''stationes'' indeed constitute a poem – or, at least, something more than a mere table of contents. The Latin lines play off the English translations, and contain nuanced meaning not found in the English that better represents the sections to which they refer.
Following the ''stationes'', the 23 meditations begin. Each section, taken in an isolated way, follows the same pattern: Donne states some element of his illness or treatment, and then expands upon his statement to develop a theme that culminates with him becoming closer to God. Perhaps the most famous of the meditations is ''
Meditation XVII'', which begins with the statement:
This statement, or title, is then expanded on. Donne first concludes that he may not be aware that the bell is tolling, saying "hee for whom this Bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knowes not it tolls for him; And perchance I may thinke my selfe so much better than I am, as that they who are about mee, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for mee, and I know not that". This is then expanded with the realisation that, even if the bell is tolling for others, it is a matter of concern for Donne, as:
Donne then argues that if someone dies, anyone has the right to use their death as long as they do so valuably, considering it a treasure. He writes that:
The death of an individual – signified by the tolling of the bell – is thus a treasure buried at the bottom of a mine: only of value if it is given to someone who makes good use of it. In this he refers to the work of
Augustine of Hippo, specifically ''
On Christian Doctrine'', in which Augustine describes the knowledge of pagans as gold and silver: something that can be involved in Christian purposes if appropriated properly. Donne, twisting this idea, is arguing that the death of any individual is something others can learn from, should they understand it properly.
Style and meaning
Stylistically, the ''Devotions'' is an example of 17th-century
devotional writing, and has been compared by Roger Rollin, professor of literature at
Clemson University
Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enr ...
, to the ''
Holy Sonnets
The ''Holy Sonnets''—also known as the ''Divine Meditations'' or ''Divine Sonnets''—are a series of nineteen poems by the English poet John Donne (1572–1631). The sonnets were first published in 1633—two years after Donne's death. The ...
'' and considered, in effect, a sequel. In the context of 17th-century devotional writing, Rollin uses the ''Devotions'' to demonstrate that, in his view, such writings were "more public than private,
erving asvehicles for the diagnosis of spiritual malaise and as sources of remedies". Lander argued that the full title signifies "growth of the spirit through physical ordeal", and in doing so draws on the devotional works of
Joseph Hall. Thomas F. Van Laan, writing in ''Studies in Philology'', draws parallels between Donne's style and the
Ignatian exercises: a set of structured mental exercises designed to bring an individual closer to understanding God.
A number of literary theorists have approached the ''Devotions'' as politically themed.
Richard Strier, in particular, identifies the ''Devotions'' as an "
Arminian polemic", arguing that it was highly atypical of Donne to actually publish works, rather than merely let them circulate amongst friends. Both before and after ordination, Donne actively resisted publication, normally only publishing works that had been the result of a commission, such as ''
The Anniversaries'' or ''
Pseudo-Martyr''. The ''Devotions'', however, were "literally rushed" into print, with the volume being handed to the printers a month after he had recovered from his disease. Strier argues that Donne's rationale for publishing the ''Devotions'' matches his rationale for publishing a sermon, the ''
Encaenia
Encaenia (; ) is an academic or sometimes ecclesiastical ceremony, usually performed at colleges or universities. It generally occurs some time near the annual ceremony for the general conferral of degrees to students. The word is from Latin, mean ...
'', the same year, to assert the importance of "places, and of dayes, and of all outward meanes", because he felt some sense of urgency about what he had to say. This is coupled with ''Devotion XVI'', in which Donne explicitly comes out against
Puritanism
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. P ...
and is simultaneously "purposely militant", deliberately frustrating the other extreme from Puritanism, where "the Arminianism and the polemical anti-puritanism of the volume becomes explicit".
Dave Gray and Jeanne Shami, writing in the ''
Modern Language Quarterly
Modern Language Quarterly (MLQ), established in 1940, is a quarterly, literary history journal, produced (housed) at the University of Washington and published by Duke University Press. The current editor is Jeffrey Todd Knight. Marshall Brown ( ...
'', argue that it was not just a work of political rhetoric but a work of political advice, aimed at
Prince Charles, to whom it was dedicated. The political situation at the time was complex, as
King James was ill and Charles attempting to gain control of the government. Gray and Shami highlight the noted line "No man is an island"; while most interpret it spiritually, they argue that it was a reminder to the prince and his advisors that "even private actions have public consequences". The veiled nature of the political references was deliberate; it allowed the work to be acceptable to the censors, but accessible to Charles and those close to him. In the event that they rejected the underlying message, it would also be accessible to other prominent and influential political figures.
Lander argues that the structure of the work is itself symbolic. As well as the division of the poem into 23 parts, each signifying and describing one day of Donne's illness, each part is itself split in three – representing the
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...
. The use of three elements – Meditation, Expostulation, and Prayer – also matches the three services found in the ''
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
'', a common influence on devotional writers of Donne's era.......Donne in the poem emphasise the idea of human world as a whole in which each human being is related to others. so Donne says that every man is a continent connected to the main, if the continent dies,it will certainly affect the main land, in the same way if a man dies his death is felt by the people related to the man. That shows that when the death bell tolls, it not only tolls for the man but for the mankind who are related to him....
Critical response
The ''Devotions'' have received a mixed reaction from critics.
Evelyn Simpson described it as "a curious little book", and wrote that "
a manual of devotion
he ''Devotions''compares unfavourably with the ''Devotions'' of Bishop Andrewes or the ''Holy Living'' of Jeremy Taylor. It is too introspective, too metaphysical, too much overloaded with learning of different kinds".
Helen C. White described it as the output of an "anxious and restless mind".
Arshagouni, on the other hand, describes the ''Devotions'' as
Donne's most mature, perhaps most complex work: a remarkable, sustained prose-poem that not only expresses conflicting and powerful internal emotions but also consciously provides its readers with a touching model of the experiences of God's elect in confronting the inexorable course of human sinfulness that characterizes life on earth.
Helen Wilcox writes that "the mixture of elaborate rhetoric, painstaking argument, and the frank details of his melancholic 'ridling distemper' creates a particularly powerful impact" and draws particular attention to ''Meditation XVII'', noting that despite the apparent self-interest of the ''Devotions'', that piece highlights Donne's recognition of the ultimate interconnectedness of humanity. ''Meditation XVII'' was also the focus of Robert Jungman, who, writing in ''American Notes and Queries'', noted it as the most forceful statement of Donne's theme in what was ultimately a "powerful psychological analysis".
In wider popular culture, several phrases from the ''Devotions'', particularly ''Meditation XVII'', have become commonly quoted, including "No man is an ''Iland''" (often modernised as "No man is an island") and "
...for whom the ''bell'' tolls". Thomas Festa, writing in ''
Notes and Queries
''Notes and Queries'', also styled ''Notes & Queries'', is a long-running quarterly scholarly journal that publishes short articles related to " English language and literature, lexicography, history, and scholarly antiquarianism".From the inne ...
'', identifies similarities between
Thomas Browne's ''
Christian Morals'' and Donne's ''Meditation XIV''.
Priaulx Rainier's 1954 song cycle ''
Cycle for Declamation'' consists of musical settings for solo tenor of short extracts from three of the ''Devotions''.
Notes
References
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External links
*
''Devotions upon Emergent Occasions''
*
Meditation XVII
*
Devotions upon Emergent Occasions' e-text at Gutenberg
*
{{good article
1624 books
Prose works by John Donne