By comparing 'The Collar' and 'Holy Sonnet', discuss how the poets show the difficulties in their relationships with God. Do you think they reach solutions to these difficulties?

The first 200 words of this essay...

By comparing 'The Collar' and 'Holy Sonnet', discuss how the poets show the difficulties in their relationships with God. Do you think they reach solutions to these difficulties?

In both 'The Collar' and 'Holy Sonnet', the poets discuss problems they have with God. In 'The Collar'. George Herbert appears to resolve this problem. In 'Holy Sonnet', however, no solution seems to be reached within Donne, and to solve his problem he needs God's help.

In the very title of his poem Herbert puts forward his problem with God; the poem is called 'The Collar', suggesting restraint and a lack of freedom. This title could also be interpreted as 'choler', which means anger. Anger defines the mood of Herbert's poem up until the last few lines. It is unclear, however, whether the majority of Herbert's frustration is directed at himself or at God, as throughout the poem he is addressing himself. Donne, on the other hand, is addressing God and asking God for help. This suggests that whilst Donne's problems are causing him to plead with God and ask for help. Herbert is turning away form God and trying to help himself, although ultimately he does find