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“Batter My Heart, Three-Person’d God” by John Donne
Batter my heart, three-person’d God, for you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise and stand, o’erthrow me, and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurp’d town to’another due,
Labor to’admit you, but oh, to no end;
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captiv’d, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly’I love you, and would be lov’d fain,
But am betroth’d unto your enemy;
Divorce me,’untie or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you’enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.
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Politics of fraud
my favorite poem ever! (along with like, oh, twelve others). : )
I like this poem. It truly shows the slavery of sin and our need of God to break that bondage. Too often the modern view of sin is so weak. We act as if people just need to “know” or to “understand” or to “have the will power” and they can break the bonds of the sin that holds them in slavery. What a prayer this poem is.
Donne does so many things well.
Interesting too, how his metaphors move from that of an imprisoned town, to the ruler, to the very (sexually) intimate. The last line has a boldness nd forthrightness to it is rather extraordinary.
I had to write an essay on this one in college–my midterm or final exam, I think. (We weren’t prepared ahead of time with what poem we’d work with, just told how to “explicate” a poem–how to take it apart line by line to catch every metaphor and shade of meaning.
After my English prof and I became friends, for one birthday I asked her for a book of John Donne’s poetry, since she was the one who made me fall in love with it, by introducing us to several of his sonnets.
It’s a haunting poem–I love You, I really do, but I can’t even love You in my own strength. Please help. One thinks of Paul’s lament that he can’t do the good things he wants to do, and continually does bad things he doesn’t want to.
Oh the liquifaction of that whip.
I like it also, but I find the theology of it somewhat puzzling.
I agree with KI that “It truly shows the slavery of sin and our need of God to break that bondage.” But someone who is “like an usurp’d town to’another due,” and “betroth’d unto your enemy” sounds like someone who still “belongs” to Satan, still in rebellion against God, not a Christian struggling between the desire for God and the pull of sin. Yet this person also speaks of dearly loving God.
The theology I learned says that until God regenerates a person, bringing the person’s spirit from death to life, the person cannot even desire God.
Pauline, having been born again three times, I know what Donne is talking about, and the frustration that drives him to all those body puns (sorry). Donne loves a God who refuses to get physical with him. Desire is not enough. Donne needs the handcuffs, the rod and the staff, so he keeps sneaking back to his former spouse.
I guess I looked at it as being a call for a deeper walk with the Lord; a deeper relationship. When we first are placed into Christ there is a new, young relationship and many sins, though justified, hold us fast in their grip. In a sense we are still slaves to Satan when we fall into temptation in those areas. We love God and want to obey him perfectly and yet find ourselves going back to things we know are wrong. It brings us back to our need again and the cross. It seems Donne is asking God to break those bondages or to throw him back. He wants all of God or none. Rather like Moses telling God to either be with him in leading the Israelites or Moses didn’t want to continue either. It is a desperate poem, but written, in a sense, that one knows one can trust God to do what He has promised. To me that is about sanctification and is promised in justification.
KI : In a sense we are still slaves to Satan when we fall into temptation , , , It seems Donne is asking God to break those bondages or to throw him back.
Donne wants God to be a jealous God. He acts out like a character on Lifetime TV, taunting God to get rough. Who is the more likeable, the poet or God?
Somehow I missed this yesterday.
But another great choice Harrison.
Appreciate the input and insights from the rest of you!