Introduction: “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne
“Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne first appeared in manuscript form around the year 1613 and was later published posthumously in the 1633 collection Poems by J.D. with Elegies on the Author’s Death. This meditative poem reflects Donne’s deeply metaphysical style and Christian introspection, interweaving themes of divine suffering, personal guilt, spiritual disorientation, and the longing for redemption. Central to the poem is the metaphor of the soul as a celestial sphere moved by “devotion,” yet often “whirled” off-course by worldly distractions like “pleasure or businesse.” Donne contrasts his physical movement westward with the spiritual call toward the East, symbolizing Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. The poem becomes a dramatic interior monologue, where the speaker acknowledges his spiritual estrangement from the divine event of Good Friday, confessing that the full weight of witnessing God’s death would be overwhelming: “Who sees Gods face, that is selfe life, must dye; / What a death were it then to see God dye?” Theologically profound and emotionally raw, the poem explores paradoxes of presence and absence, grace and punishment, sight and blindness, ultimately culminating in a plea for transformation: “Restore thine Image…that thou may’st know mee, and I’ll turne my face.” This piece holds lasting significance in literary theory for its fusion of metaphysical conceit, spiritual introspection, and the Baroque tension between body and soul, marking Donne as a pivotal figure in early modern devotional poetry.
Text: “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne
Let mans Soule be a Spheare, and then, in this,
The intelligence that moves, devotion is,
And as the other Spheares, by being growne
Subject to forraigne motion, lose their owne,
And being by others hurried every day,
Scarce in a yeare their naturall forme obey:
Pleasure or businesse, so, our Soules admit
For their first mover, and are whirld by it.
Hence is’t, that I am carryed towards the West
This day, when my Soules forme bends toward the East.
There I should see a Sunne, by rising set,
And by that setting endlesse day beget;
But that Christ on this Crosse, did rise and fall,
Sinne had eternally benighted all.
Yet dare I’almost be glad, I do not see
That spectacle of too much weight for mee.
Who sees Gods face, that is selfe life, must dye;
What a death were it then to see God dye?
It made his owne Lieutenant Nature shrinke,
It made his footstoole crack, and the Sunne winke.
Could I behold those hands which span the Poles,
And tune all spheares at once peirc’d with those holes?
Could I behold that endlesse height which is
Zenith to us, and our Antipodes,
Humbled below us? or that blood which is
The seat of all our Soules, if not of his,
Made durt of dust, or that flesh which was worne
By God, for his apparell, rag’d, and torne?
If on these things I durst not looke, durst I
Upon his miserable mother cast mine eye,
Who was Gods partner here, and furnish’d thus
Halfe of that Sacrifice, which ransom’d us?
Though these things, as I ride, be from mine eye,
They’are present yet unto my memory,
For that looks towards them; and thou look’st towards mee,
O Saviour, as thou hang’st upon the tree;
I turne my backe to thee, but to receive
Corrections, till thy mercies bid thee leave.
O thinke mee worth thine anger, punish mee,
Burne off my rusts, and my deformity,
Restore thine Image, so much, by thy grace,
That thou may’st know mee, and I’ll turne my face.
Annotations: “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne
| Original Line | Simple English | Literary Device(s) |
| Let mans Soule be a Spheare, and then, in this, | Think of a man’s soul as a perfect round sphere. | 🌀 Metaphor (soul as sphere) |
| The intelligence that moves, devotion is, | What moves the soul is devotion. | 💫 Personification (devotion acts as force) |
| And as the other Spheares, by being growne | Like planets, when influenced too much by others, | 🌍 Simile (soul compared to heavenly bodies) |
| Subject to forraigne motion, lose their owne, | They lose their natural course. | 🔁 Metaphysical Conceit |
| And being by others hurried every day, | Constantly pulled by outside influences. | 🌪️ Imagery (chaotic movement) |
| Scarce in a yeare their naturall forme obey: | They hardly return to their intended path. | 📉 Allusion (astronomy/geocentric model) |
| Pleasure or businesse, so, our Soules admit | Likewise, pleasure and work control our souls. | 🎭 Symbolism (worldly distractions) |
| For their first mover, and are whirld by it. | We let them become our guiding forces. | 🌀 Allusion (Aristotelian “prime mover”) |
| Hence is’t, that I am carryed towards the West | That’s why I ride west today. | 🧭 Symbolism (West = physical world) |
| This day, when my Soules forme bends toward the East. | Though my soul wants to turn toward the East (Christ). | 🧭 Symbolism (East = resurrection) |
| There I should see a Sunne, by rising set, | There I would see a sun rise and set. | ☀️ Pun/Allegory (sun/Son) |
| And by that setting endlesse day beget; | Christ’s death brings eternal life. | ⛅ Paradox |
| But that Christ on this Crosse, did rise and fall, | Christ was lifted up and died on the cross. | ✝️ Paradox (rise and fall at once) |
| Sinne had eternally benighted all. | Otherwise, sin would have left us in darkness. | 🌑 Personification (sin as darkness) |
| Yet dare I’almost be glad, I do not see | I’m almost relieved I don’t witness it. | 😔 Apostrophe (internal conflict) |
| That spectacle of too much weight for mee. | It would be too much to bear. | ⚖️ Hyperbole |
| Who sees Gods face, that is selfe life, must dye; | Seeing God’s face is so holy, it would kill us. | 👁️ Paradox |
| What a death were it then to see God dye? | Then how unbearable to see God die? | 💔 Irony |
| It made his owne Lieutenant Nature shrinke, | Even Nature was shocked. | 🌍 Personification |
| It made his footstoole crack, and the Sunne winke. | The earth trembled, and the sun went dark. | 🌞 Symbolism / Personification |
| Could I behold those hands which span the Poles, | Could I look at hands that hold the world? | 👐 Hyperbole |
| And tune all spheares at once peirc’d with those holes? | And control the cosmos—now pierced by nails? | 🎼 Metaphysical Conceit |
| Could I behold that endlesse height which is | Could I see that divine height— | 📏 Metaphor (divinity = height) |
| Zenith to us, and our Antipodes, | Which is above and below us. | 🌐 Symbolism |
| Humbled below us? or that blood which is | Yet humbled so low? Or that holy blood— | 🩸 Paradox |
| The seat of all our Soules, if not of his, | Source of our souls (if not his own)? | 🧬 Symbolism |
| Made durt of dust, or that flesh which was worne | Now turned to dirt? And that divine flesh— | 🌫️ Alliteration / Contrast |
| By God, for his apparell, rag’d, and torne? | Which God wore like clothes—ripped and torn? | 👕 Metaphor (flesh as garment) |
| If on these things I durst not looke, durst I | If I can’t bear to look at Christ— | 😢 Rhetorical Question |
| Upon his miserable mother cast mine eye, | Could I even look at his sorrowing mother? | 👁️ Pathos / Apostrophe |
| Who was Gods partner here, and furnish’d thus | She shared in God’s suffering. | 🤝 Metaphor |
| Halfe of that Sacrifice, which ransom’d us? | She contributed to our redemption. | 💔 Allusion (co-redemptrix) |
| Though these things, as I ride, be from mine eye, | Even if I can’t see them now— | 🚶 Imagery |
| They’are present yet unto my memory, | I still remember them deeply. | 🧠 Symbolism (memory as vision) |
| For that looks towards them; and thou look’st towards mee, | My mind looks to them, and You look at me. | 👁️🗨️ Chiasmus / Apostrophe |
| O Saviour, as thou hang’st upon the tree; | While You hang on the cross— | 🌳 Symbolism (tree = cross) |
| I turne my backe to thee, but to receive | I turn away, but to accept Your punishment. | 🔁 Irony / Repentance |
| Corrections, till thy mercies bid thee leave. | Punish me until Your mercy tells You to stop. | ⚖️ Metaphor / Paradox |
| O thinke mee worth thine anger, punish mee, | Consider me worthy of discipline. | 💥 Apostrophe |
| Burne off my rusts, and my deformity, | Burn away my sins and faults. | 🔥 Metaphor / Purification |
| Restore thine Image, so much, by thy grace, | Restore Your image in me through grace. | 🪞 Theological Allusion |
| That thou may’st know mee, and I’ll turne my face. | So You’ll recognize me and I’ll turn to You. | 🔄 Resolution / Spiritual Renewal |
Literary And Poetic Devices: “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne
| Device 🧩 | Example from the Poem | Explanation |
| Apostrophe 🗣️ | “O Saviour, as thou hang’st upon the tree” | The speaker directly addresses Christ in a meditative moment. |
| Alliteration 🔤 | “durt of dust” | Repetition of initial consonant ‘d’ creates rhythm and emphasis. |
| Allusion (Biblical) 📖 | “as thou hang’st upon the tree” | Refers to Christ’s crucifixion using a biblical metaphor (“tree”). |
| Antithesis ⚖️ | “I turne my backe to thee, but to receive / Corrections” | Contrasting ideas of turning away and spiritual return. |
| Chiasmus 🔁 | “For that looks towards them; and thou look’st towards mee” | Reversal of structure reflects mirrored spiritual relationship. |
| Conceit (Metaphysical) ⛓️ | “Let mans Soule be a Spheare” | An extended metaphor comparing the soul to a planetary sphere. |
| Contrast ⚔️ | “carryed towards the West…Soules forme bends toward the East” | Opposes physical journey with spiritual inclination. |
| Enjambment ➡️ | “The seat of all our Soules, if not of his, / Made durt of dust” | Thought runs over to the next line without pause. |
| Hyperbole 💥 | “Could I behold those hands which span the Poles” | Exaggeration to emphasize Christ’s cosmic power. |
| Imagery (Visual) 🖼️ | “the Sunne winke” | Vivid image of cosmic darkness signaling divine grief. |
| Irony 🎭 | “What a death were it then to see God dye?” | It is both impossible and tragic to witness God’s death. |
| Metaphor 🌀 | “Restore thine Image” | Compares spiritual identity to a divine image that needs repair. |
| Metonymy 🏛️ | “blood which is / The seat of all our Soules” | “Blood” represents soul or life force. |
| Paradox 🔮 | “Christ on this Crosse, did rise and fall” | Christ’s death is portrayed as both a fall and a spiritual rising. |
| Pathos 💧 | “Upon his miserable mother cast mine eye” | Stirring emotional appeal to evoke compassion. |
| Personification 🌞 | “the Sunne winke” | The sun is given human traits, suggesting nature’s sorrow. |
| Pun 😏 | “Sunne, by rising set” | A play on words: “sun” as celestial body and “Son” of God. |
| Rhetorical Question ❓ | “What a death were it then to see God dye?” | Meant to provoke deep reflection rather than answer. |
| Simile 🧩 | “as the other Spheares…lose their owne” | Souls are likened to planets thrown off their path. |
| Symbolism 🧭 | “West” and “East” | Represent the material world vs. spiritual salvation. |
Themes: “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne
✝️ 1. Spiritual Conflict and Contradiction: In “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne, the poet explores a deep spiritual conflict between worldly duties and divine contemplation. This internal tension is most vividly captured in the lines: “Hence is’t, that I am carryed towards the West / This day, when my Soules forme bends toward the East.” While Donne physically rides westward, his soul inclines eastward—toward Jerusalem, the site of Christ’s crucifixion. This spatial metaphor reveals a soul torn between earthly engagements (symbolized by the west) and spiritual devotion (symbolized by the east). The conflict is further emphasized by the speaker’s confession that “Pleasure or businesse…our Soules admit / For their first mover, and are whirld by it,” reflecting how external pressures derail inner devotion. Donne’s struggle to reconcile his daily life with his faith illustrates a universal theme of spiritual disorientation.
🌞 2. Divine Majesty and Human Unworthiness: Throughout “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne, the contrast between divine majesty and human frailty is sharply emphasized. Donne wrestles with his unworthiness to witness Christ’s crucifixion, asking: “Who sees Gods face, that is selfe life, must dye; / What a death were it then to see God dye?” This paradox encapsulates the overwhelming holiness of Christ and the speaker’s own spiritual inadequacy. He admits he cannot bear to look upon “those hands which span the Poles…peirc’d with those holes,” underscoring the cosmic significance of Christ’s suffering. Even Nature, God’s “Lieutenant,” “shrinkes” at the crucifixion, while the “Sunne winke[s]” in mourning. These dramatic images emphasize the divine scale of Christ’s death, and the speaker’s humility before such an event, reinforcing his sense of human smallness in the face of God’s sacrifice.
🔥 3. Repentance and Spiritual Renewal: A powerful theme in “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne is the desire for repentance and spiritual transformation. The poem ends with an impassioned plea for purification and renewal: “Burne off my rusts, and my deformity, / Restore thine Image, so much, by thy grace.” Donne uses the imagery of corrosion and divine restoration to suggest that the soul, though tarnished by sin, can be reformed through divine mercy. The act of turning back to God is physically and spiritually symbolized in the final line: “That thou may’st know mee, and I’ll turne my face.” Here, the speaker resolves to realign his soul with Christ, asking to be recognized once again as bearing God’s image. This act of repentance is not simply sorrow for sin, but a dynamic return to the divine presence, made possible only through grace.
🧭 4. Directionality as Spiritual Allegory: In “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne, spatial direction becomes a profound spiritual allegory. The poet’s physical journey westward ironically contrasts with his spiritual yearning to face eastward, toward Christ. The directional metaphor—“I am carryed towards the West / This day, when my Soules forme bends toward the East”—acts as a metaphor for the tension between temporal existence and eternal truth. The East, traditionally associated with resurrection and spiritual light, represents the path of salvation. In contrast, the West becomes a symbol of distraction, delay, and disconnection from the divine. Donne cleverly uses cosmic and earthly geography to mirror the state of his soul, suggesting that to find redemption, one must consciously reorient not only their body but their inner being toward God. The poem’s very structure echoes this inward journey.
Literary Theories and “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne
| Theory 🧠 | Explanation | Textual Reference |
| 📖 New Criticism | Focuses on close reading of the text itself—its imagery, paradoxes, and formal qualities. Donne’s use of paradox (“What a death were it then to see God dye?”), conceit (“Let mans Soule be a Spheare”), and structure all lend themselves to this method. The self-contained poem displays tension between spiritual devotion and physical action. | “Hence is’t, that I am carryed towards the West / This day, when my Soules forme bends toward the East.” |
| 🪞 Psychoanalytic Criticism | Explores the speaker’s inner psychological tension, guilt, and desire for purification. The fear of witnessing divine suffering (“That spectacle of too much weight for mee”) and the longing for restoration (“Burne off my rusts…Restore thine Image”) mirror repressed guilt and the search for wholeness (ego-ideal vs. superego conflict). | “I turne my backe to thee, but to receive / Corrections, till thy mercies bid thee leave.” |
| ✝️ Theological Criticism | Interprets the poem within Christian doctrine and spiritual tradition. The entire meditation revolves around Good Friday, the crucifixion, redemption, and repentance. The symbolic East-West direction, Christ as “Sunne,” and the plea for grace all reflect Christian soteriology. | “Christ on this Crosse, did rise and fall, / Sinne had eternally benighted all.” |
| 🌍 Historical-Biographical Criticism | Considers Donne’s own life—his transition from courtier to cleric—and historical religious context. The tension between worldly duty and spiritual calling is autobiographical, reflecting Donne’s inner conflict as he was undergoing a personal and theological transformation in 1613. | Donne’s real westward journey on Good Friday while contemplating the East (Christ) mirrors his own spiritual direction. |
Critical Questions about “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne
❓ 1. How does the tension between physical movement and spiritual longing shape the poem’s structure and meaning?
In “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne, the speaker’s literal westward journey stands in symbolic conflict with his soul’s longing to turn east—toward Christ and spiritual reflection. This central tension is expressed in the lines: “Hence is’t, that I am carryed towards the West / This day, when my Soules forme bends toward the East.” The juxtaposition of bodily action and inner desire introduces a paradox that governs the entire poem. This dissonance not only structures the poem’s physical vs. spiritual duality but also mirrors Donne’s broader metaphysical style, where inner truths clash with external realities. The physical act of riding becomes a metaphor for distraction and disconnection from faith, while the desire to face east signifies repentance and renewal. This thematic structure deepens the poem’s emotional and philosophical depth.
🩸 2. In what ways does Donne portray the crucifixion as a cosmic and psychological event?
“Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne presents Christ’s crucifixion not just as a historical or theological moment, but as an event of cosmic magnitude and psychological weight. The speaker reflects: “It made his owne Lieutenant Nature shrinke, / It made his footstoole crack, and the Sunne winke.” These lines suggest that nature itself—the very universe—responded to Christ’s death with trembling and darkness. This cosmic reaction is paralleled by the speaker’s personal inability to fully face the event: “Yet dare I almost be glad, I do not see / That spectacle of too much weight for mee.” Donne thus merges metaphysical grandeur with inner psychological struggle. The crucifixion becomes both a disruption in the heavens and a confrontation too overwhelming for a mortal soul, illustrating the gravity of divine sacrifice through both celestial and emotional responses.
🔥 3. What role does the language of purification and transformation play in the poem’s conclusion?
In the final stanzas of “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne, the speaker turns from contemplation to active plea, invoking the imagery of fire and cleansing. The lines “Burne off my rusts, and my deformity, / Restore thine Image, so much, by thy grace” express the soul’s yearning for purification and restoration to divine likeness. “Rusts” metaphorically represent spiritual decay, and “deformity” evokes a fall from grace. Through the process of suffering and divine correction—“I turne my backe to thee, but to receive / Corrections”—the speaker seeks a renewed identity, one that reflects God’s image. This redemptive theme echoes the broader Christian concept of sanctification. Donne positions spiritual renewal not as a passive hope but as an active, grace-driven transformation, underscoring the poem’s penitential tone and the redemptive potential of Good Friday.
🌍 4. How does Donne’s historical and personal context inform the speaker’s sense of disorientation and guilt?
The biographical and historical context of John Donne deeply informs “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward”, particularly in the speaker’s sense of spiritual guilt and dislocation. Written during Donne’s transition from a secular courtier to a deeply committed Anglican priest, the poem reflects his personal conflict between worldly obligations and religious calling. His westward ride, likely toward secular responsibilities, becomes a metaphor for spiritual misdirection: “Pleasure or businesse…whirld” the soul away from its true center. At the time, Donne was grappling with the expectations of court life and his own religious vocation—tensions that permeate the poem. The spiritual weight of Good Friday serves as a moment of reckoning, compelling him to confront his guilt and seek reorientation: “That thou may’st know mee, and I’ll turne my face.” This context enriches the poem’s emotional and moral complexity, revealing it as both a public meditation and a private confession.
Literary Works Similar to “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne
- 🛐 “The Collar” by George Herbert
↪ Explores the speaker’s spiritual defiance and eventual return to God, mirroring Donne’s inner tension between worldly life and divine calling. - ☀️ “The World” by Henry Vaughan
↪ Uses cosmic and spiritual imagery to contrast fleeting earthly concerns with eternal truth—similar to Donne’s East-West metaphor. - ⚖️ “To Christ Crucified” (Anonymous, Spanish Baroque)
↪ Shares Donne’s reverent awe at the crucifixion, expressing unworthiness and the soul’s humble desire for divine mercy. - 🔥 “Easter Wings” by George Herbert
↪ Like Donne’s poem, it uses form and paradox to depict the soul’s fall and hope for resurrection and grace.
Representative Quotations of “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne
| 🔹 Quotation | Context & Meaning | 🧠 Theoretical Lens |
| 🧭 “Hence is’t, that I am carryed towards the West / This day, when my Soules forme bends toward the East.” | The speaker travels westward physically, but spiritually desires to turn toward Christ in the East—symbolizing internal conflict. | New Criticism: Focuses on spatial metaphor and paradox. |
| ✝️ “Christ on this Crosse, did rise and fall, / Sinne had eternally benighted all.” | A theological paradox: Christ’s death is both a fall and a redemptive rising, reversing eternal sin. | Theological Criticism: Examines soteriological depth. |
| 🌞 “Who sees Gods face, that is selfe life, must dye; / What a death were it then to see God dye?” | A profound paradox: seeing the source of life causes death. So witnessing God die is beyond comprehension. | Metaphysical Poetics: Focus on paradox and intensity. |
| 🌍 “It made his owne Lieutenant Nature shrinke, / It made his footstoole crack, and the Sunne winke.” | The crucifixion disturbs the entire cosmos. Nature reacts in horror to the death of its Creator. | Eco-Criticism / Historical Criticism: Nature’s role in divine drama. |
| 🔥 “Burne off my rusts, and my deformity, / Restore thine Image, so much, by thy grace.” | A plea for purification and transformation—asking God to cleanse sin and renew divine likeness. | Psychoanalytic Criticism: Purging guilt and restoring the ego-ideal. |
| 🕊️ “Restore thine Image…that thou may’st know mee, and I’ll turne my face.” | Redemption through grace allows the speaker to turn toward God again and be recognized. | Theological Criticism: Reflects imago Dei and repentance. |
| 💫 “Let mans Soule be a Spheare…devotion is.” | Introduces the central conceit: the soul is a planet moved by devotion, echoing celestial harmony. | Metaphysical / Formalist Criticism: Central conceit and order. |
| ⚖️ “Pleasure or businesse…our Soules admit / For their first mover, and are whirld by it.” | Worldly distractions displace devotion as the soul’s guiding force. | Moral Philosophy / Christian Humanism: Warning against misdirected will. |
| 👁️ “That spectacle of too much weight for mee.” | The speaker admits his soul is too weak to witness the crucifixion’s horror. | Psychoanalytic Criticism: Fear of confrontation with trauma. |
| 🧠 “They’are present yet unto my memory, / For that looks towards them; and thou look’st towards mee.” | Though physically distant, the speaker spiritually remembers Christ, creating a bond of vision and grace. | Phenomenology / Memory Theory: Memory as spiritual seeing. |
Suggested Readings: “Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward” by John Donne
- Sherwood, Terry G. “Conversion Psychology in John Donne’s Good Friday Poem.” The Harvard Theological Review, vol. 72, no. 1/2, 1979, pp. 101–22. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1509678. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
- Sherwood, Terry G. “Conversion Psychology in John Donne’s Good Friday Poem.” The Harvard Theological Review, vol. 72, no. 1/2, 1979, pp. 101–22. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1509678. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
- Brown, Piers. “Donne’s Hawkings.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, vol. 49, no. 1, 2009, pp. 67–86. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40071385. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.