The Annunciation and Passion by John Donne

Name: The Annunciation and Passion
Author: John Donne

On the Feast day when the Annunciation and the Passion of Christ fall together, John Donne's speaker directs his frail body to fast, since his soul feasts twice: on Christ arriving and Christ departing. The soul sees Him made man, so like God in this that the two events form an emblem of a circle whose first and last points meet. On this doubtful day of feast or fast, Christ came and went away at once. The soul sees Him as nothing and as all at the same instant; sees a cedar plant itself and fall; sees her Maker set to being made, and the head of life at once not yet alive and already dead. She sees the Virgin Mother at once secluded at home and made public at Golgotha, sad and rejoicing at once, seen at nearly fifty years and at scarcely fifteen. At once a son is promised her and gone from her: Gabriel gives Christ to her, and He gives her to John. Not fully a mother, she is in bereavement, at once the receiver and the legacy left behind. All this, and everything between, this single day has shown: the abridgement of Christ's whole story, which makes the angel's Ave and the Consummatum est into one, just as on plain maps the furthest west is the east. Donne reflects on how well the Church, called God's Court of Faculties, manages by sometimes joining and sometimes keeping separate such feasts. As by the fixed Pole Star men never steer directly, but by the next star to it, which shows where the Pole is and which, because it strays not far, is said never to stray, so by God's Church, nearest to Him, believers know Him, and stand firm if they follow her motion. His Spirit, like His fiery pillar, leads, and His Church, like the cloud, leads also, both to the same end. This Church, by letting the two days join, has shown that death and conception are one in mankind; or that it was the same humility in Him to become a man and to cease to be; or that, as He made creation as God with the Last Judgment forming with it but one period, His imitating spouse the Church would likewise join in one the extremes of His Manhood: He shall come, and He is gone. Or, as though a single drop of blood, once accepted, would have sufficed, He nevertheless shed all of it, so, though the least of His pains, deeds, or words would occupy a whole life, the Church affords all of this within a single day. The speaker closes by urging his own soul to lay up this treasure in gross on this day, and to retail it out again in his life every day thereafter.

By John Donne · First published 1608 · Genre: Devotional Poetry, Metaphysical Poetry, Meditative Poetry · 606 words

First lines

Tamely, frail body, abstain today; today / My soul eats twice, Christ hither and away. / She sees Him man, so like God made in this, / That of them both a circle emblem is, / Whose first and last concur; this doubtful day / Of feast or fast, Christ came, and went away; / She sees Him nothing, twice at once, who's all; / She sees a cedar plant itself, and fall; / Her Maker put to making, and the head / Of life at once not yet alive, yet dead; / She sees at once the Virgin Mother stay / Reclused at home, public at Golgotha; / Sad and rejoiced she's seen at once, and seen / At almost fifty, and at scarce fifteen; / At once a son is promised her, and gone; / Gabriel gives Christ to her, He her to John; / Not fully a mother, she's in orbity; / At once receiver and the legacy. / All this, and all between, this day hath shown, / Th' abridgement of Christ's story, which makes one- / As in plain maps, the furthest west is east- / Of th' angels Ave, and Consummatum est. / How well the Church, God's Court of Faculties, / Deals, in sometimes, and seldom joining these. / As by the self-fix'd Pole we never do / Direct our course, but the next star thereto, / Which shows where th'other is, and which we say / -Because it strays not far-doth never stray, / So God by His Church, nearest to him, we know, / And stand firm, if we by her motion go. / His Spirit, as His fiery pillar, doth / Lead, and His Church, as cloud; to one end both. / This Church by letting those days join, hath shown / Death and conception in mankind is one; / Or 'twas in Him the same humility, / That He would be a man, and leave to be; / Or as creation He hath made, as God, / With the last judgment but one period, / His imitating spouse would join in one / Manhood's extremes; He shall come, He is gone; / Or as though one blood drop, which thence did fall, / Accepted, would have served, He yet shed all, / So though the least of His pains, deeds, or words, / Would busy a life, she all this day affords. / This treasure then, in gross, my soul, uplay, / And in my life retail it every day.

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The Annunciation and Passion is listed on Textopian as a poem by John Donne, dated 1608 CE.

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Work type: Poem
Author: John Donne
Date: 1608 CE
Language: English
Genres: Devotional Poetry, Metaphysical Poetry, Meditative Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Religious Poetry
Length: 606 words
Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

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Genres

Devotional Poetry — The poem functions as a spiritual devotion and act of prayer, contemplating the paradoxes of Christ's Incarnation and Mary's role in redemptive history.
Metaphysical Poetry — Donne's characteristic style combines intellectual wit, elaborate conceits, and paradoxical exploration of spiritual and physical reality to probe divine mysteries.
Meditative Poetry — Structured as spiritual contemplation, the poem moves from observation through theological argumentation to concluding devotional application.
Lyric Poetry — Expresses personal spiritual emotion and inner reflection through direct address to the soul, conveying intimate religious experience.