This is my Play's Last Scene; here Heavens Appoi

Name: This is my Play's Last Scene; here Heavens Appoint
Author: John Donne

This is my Play's Last Scene; here Heavens Appoint is a sonnet in which the speaker declares that he has reached the final scene of his play, the last mile of his pilgrimage, the last pace of his race, and the last inch of his span, marking the very last point of his minutes. He states that gluttonous Death will instantly unjoint his body and soul, and that he shall sleep a space, while his ever-waking part shall see that face whose fear already shakes his every joint. He then describes how, as his soul takes flight to heaven, her first seat, his earthborn body shall dwell in the earth. He calls for his sins to fall to where they were bred, so that all may have their right and so they would press him to hell. He closes by asking to be imputed righteous, thus purged of evil, declaring that thus he leaves the world, the flesh, and the devil.

By John Donne · First published 1633 · Genre: Metaphysical Poetry, Devotional Poetry, Sonnet · 185 words

First lines

This is my play's last scene; here heavens appoint / My pilgrimage's last mile; and my race / Idly, yet quickly run, hath this last pace; / My span's last inch, my minutes' latest point; / And gluttonous Death will instantly unjoint / My body and soul, and I shall sleep a space; / But my ever-waking part shall see that face, / Whose fear already shakes my every joint. / Then, as my soul to heaven her first seat takes flight, / And earthborn body in the earth shall dwell, / So fall my sins, that all may have their right, / To where they're bred and would press me to hell. / Impute me righteous, thus purged of evil, / For thus I leave the world, the flesh, the devil.

Open reader

What this Textopian page supports

This is my Play's Last Scene; here Heavens Appoint is listed on Textopian as a poem by John Donne, dated 1633 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Poem
Author: John Donne
Date: 1633 CE
Language: English
Genres: Metaphysical Poetry, Devotional Poetry, Sonnet, Memento Mori, Religious Poetry
Length: 185 words
Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for This is my Play's Last Scene; here Heavens Appoint by John Donne
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Similar titles

Genres

Metaphysical Poetry — Donne exemplifies metaphysical verse through elaborate conceits comparing death to life's stages (race, span, minutes), the paradoxical yoking of spiritual and physical realms (soul and body division), and intellectual complexity characteristic of the metaphysical school.
Devotional Poetry — The poem functions as an intimate spiritual meditation on sin, redemption, and salvation, with the speaker addressing God directly and contemplating the soul's transcendence; its introspective, prayerful quality defines devotional verse.
Sonnet — The work follows the fourteen-line sonnet structure with a volta between octave and sestet, using the form to present the speaker's contemplation of death and resolve it through spiritual transformation and divine judgment.
Memento Mori — The poem meditates on death and mortality as spiritual instruction, employing the memento mori tradition to achieve renunciation of worldly concerns and underscore the transience of bodily life versus eternal salvation.