The poem start with the lyrical voice asking the threepersoned god god, jesus, and the holy ghost to attack his heart, as it were gates belonging to a fortress batter comes from battering ram the element used in medieval times to break down the door of a fortress. This extreme use of paradox is characteristic of much of donnes poetry and of metaphysical poets in general. In holy sonnet 14 donne uses many different techniques to convey the intimate and paradoxical relationship the poet has with god. Holy sonnet 14, donne, batter my heart three personed god, an. What words in lines 912 are especially related to the earlier lines. Batter my heart is close to break my heart, but the paradox here as in that. Batter my heart expresses the lyrical voices call upon god to take hold of him, while using deeply spiritual and physical arresting images.
The paradox of the final two lines of batter my heart is expressive of the christian belief that freedomthe spiritual freedom of the soul that goes to heavenis based on subservience to god. Holy sonnet 14 british literature wiki wordpress at ud. Batter my heart, threepersoned god homework help questions. I, like an usurpd town to another due, labor to admit you, but oh, to no end. The main themes of the poem are love, religion, and violence. Thus far, god has only knocked, following the scriptural idea that god knocks and each person must let him in, yet this has not worked sufficiently for the poet. Irresolution of paradox in donnes batter my heart literature. He requests, batter my heart line 1, metaphorically indicating that he wants god to use force to assault his heart, like battering down a door. In it, the speaker is asking god to make him the speaker. He starts with a direct command to god batter my heart.
That i may rise and stand, oerthrow me, and bend your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new. The final couplet of the poem works through paradox. The speaker in john donnes sonnet batter my heart, threepersoned god essentially expresses a desire to grow closer in his relationship with god by turning away from sin and embodying goodness. Simply to mend or shine him up is not drastic enough. The holy paradox in donnes batter my heart the great paradox of the christian faith lies in the condition that in order to be truly free, the soul must first be rescued from the bondage of sin, then recaptured and completely conquered by god. The holy paradox in donnes batter my heart 16 words 123. Batter my heart, threepersoned god paradox the speaker in john donne s sonnet batter my heart, threepersoned god essentially expresses a desire to grow closer in his relationship with god by turning away from sin and embodying goodness. In john donnes batter my heart explain the paradoxes in lines. The poem opens with a bang as the speaker addresses god as threepersoned god 1, hence the christian god, with a desperate demand. The speaker wants god to enter his heart aggressively and violently, instead of gently. The poem, like the poet, generously accommodates tension, paradox, and even outright. In the renaissance, two kinds of sonnets were popular.
In john donnes batter my heart explain the paradoxes in. The speaker says that to rise and stand, he needs god to overthrow him and bend his force to break, blow, and burn him, and to make him new. The speaker asks god to intensify the effort to restore the speakers soul. Batter my heart, threepersoned god is a sonnet, a short lyric poem of fourteen lines. Holy sonnet xiv or the plenitude of metaphor dialnet. A short analysis of john donnes batter my heart, threepersond god. Analysis of batter my heart holy sonnet 14 by john donne. Pauls cathedral in london, england alessia pierdomenico reuters john donne begins the fourteenth of his. As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend that i may rise and stand, oerthrow me, and bend. Passion and paradox in john donnes batter my heart, threepersond god the dome of st.
The holy paradox in donnes batter my heart 16 words. Pauls cathedral in london, england alessia pierdomenico reuters. Passion and paradox in john donnes batter my heart. Batter my heart, threepersond god, for you as yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend. While this desire may be the central theme of many religious poems, however, the speakers approach in asking god for guidance on his endeavors for goodness is fairly unusual. He requests, batter my heart line 1, metaphorically indicating that he wants god to. Some christians would tell you commanding god to do something as opposed to asking nicely for it. The speaker asks the threepersoned god to batter his heart, for as yet god only knocks politely, breathes, shines, and seeks to mend. As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend. Passion and paradox in john donnes holy sonnet 14 the atlantic. Batter my heart holy sonnet 14 summary the speaker begins by asking god along with jesus and the holy ghost.
1663 506 1210 256 1262 1435 1232 572 59 835 1633 1170 1529 1474 565 675 901 299 510 836 1221 575 1418 176 1222 1106 676 719 294 136 1544 1116 1364 215 1001 1314 58 1502 428 1280 1429 297 522 231 353 952 275 1433 318 207