Lyric Poem · Peace

Holy Sonnet VIII: If Faithful Souls Be Alike Glorified

by John Donne

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1If faithful souls be alike glorified

2As angels, then my fathers soul doth see,

3And adds this even to full felicity,

4That valiantly I hells wide mouth o'erstride:

5But if our minds to these souls be descried

6By circumstances, and by signs that be

7Apparent in us, not immediately,

8How shall my mind's white truth by them be tried?

9They see idolatrous lovers weep and mourn,

10And vile blasphemous conjurers to call

11On Jesus name, and Pharisaical

12Dissemblers feigne devotion. Then turn,

13O pensive soul, to God, for he knows best

14Thy true grief, for he put it in my breast.

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“Holy Sonnet VIII: If Faithful Souls Be Alike Glorified” by John Donne — quilloak.com/poems/holy-sonnet-viii-if-faithful-souls-be-alike-glorified

Quick facts

Poem: Holy Sonnet VIII: If Faithful Souls Be Alike Glorified
Poet: John Donne
Length: 14 lines
Form: Lyric Poem
Themes: Peace, Sad, Death & Loss

Craft notes

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Shape: 14 lines · one 14-line stanza
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Author record: John Donne1572–1631
Source record: PoetryDBHoly Sonnet VIII: If Faithful Souls Be Alike Glorified by john-donne, PoetryDB transcription
Display decision: Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record: Not recorded in the imported source
Text fingerprint: SHA-256 2f983a60cb82fe0b…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

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Lyric Poem Peace Sad Death & Loss

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