That Rich Soul

As the leader of the Metaphysical poets,Donne was very much concerned with the fundamental problems of his era:the nature of the universe,man's place or function in life, and the soul's relationship with body and God.Donne studies over the past centuries have covered comparative studies,thematic explorations,textual analysis,theoretical inquiries,and cultural interpretations.They all have great achievements,but are largely confined to Donne's secular poems rather than his religious works.There are a few studies devoted to his religious poems,but there is no systematic inquiry into the underlying theme throughout his religious poetry.This thesis, therefore,attempts to investigate into this important but neglected theme.This thesis holds that Donne's works are all knitted together by a systematic journey of the soul.Based on close reading and detailed analysis,this thesis finds that Donne has created a world soul,identified both in his secular poems and in religious works,and dialectically portrayed by its systematic journey from its creation to its salvation with its fall and redemption in between.Close reading may sound old fashioned but it is essential for us to see the themes,images and metaphors in Donne's poems.To enhance our purpose, other methods are also incorporated for further investigation into the cultural and historical background of the Renaissance period. This thesis argues that Donne's God has an extraordinary love of and care for the soul, because God imprinted His image on man in his creation,and the soul is emblematic of this divine image.Donne has endowed his world soul with the capability to enjoy freedom and love and to animate all the living beings.Insofar as the soul-body relationship is concerned,Donne frequently emphasizes their mutual necessity.But he is not always constant,fails to escape the hierarchical existence of beings,and views the human body as a necessary instrument of the incarnation and sacrifice of Christ to redeem all the fallen humans.His works reveal that salvation is offered by God who alone can lift up the fallen humanity and restore their dignity.Meanwhile Donne is conscious that the fallen humanity must respond positively to God's divine plan,and save their soul in three progressive ways: the purgative way;the illuminative way and the unitive way.