Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE LITANY: 10. THE MARTYRS by JOHN DONNE

Poet Analysis

First Line: AND SINCE THOU SO DESIROUSLY
Last Line: NOT TO BE MARTYRS, IS A MARTYRDOME.
Subject(s): MARTYRS;
And since thou so desirously
Did'st long to die, that long before thou could'st,
And long since thou no more couldst dye,
Thou in thy scatter'd mystique body wouldst
In Abel dye, and ever since
In thine; let their blood come
To begge for us, a discreet patience
Of death, or of worse life: for Oh, to some
Not to be Martyrs, is a martyrdome.



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