John Donne By: James Blake

Background  Born a Catholic in 1572 in London England  Studied at Oxford when he was 11 and then transferred to Cambridge  Faced social and financial instability after his marriage in  Founder of the metaphysical poets.

First Quatrain  Donne’s Writing Batter my heart, three-personed God, for You Take over my heart God for I 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.  Explication Prayer to the Holy Trinity God has been too patient with the speaker Dioesn’t want to be fixed but to be comepletely changed Can’t be a full disciple without God’s overpowerment

Second Quatrain  Donne’s Writing I like an usurped town to another due I abhor to admit You, but Oh! to no end Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend But is captived, and proves weak or untrue  Explication Simile comparing himself to a town being ruled by somebody else I try to let you into the town but cannot overcome the authority in charge of him at that moment Mind and Truth

Third Quatrain  Donne’s Writing Yet dearly I love You, and would be loved fain But am betrothed 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 Explication Still shows great love for God Is engrossed by sin Wants to be enslaved so he can be set free

Literary Terms BATTER my heart, three person'd God; for, you As yet but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to mend; That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend Your force, to breake, blowe, burn and make me new. I, like an usurpt towne, to'another due, Personification Labour to'admit You, but Oh, to no end, Reason Your viceroy in mee, mee should defend, But is captiv'd, and proves weake or untrue. Yet dearely'I love You,'and would be loved faine, But am betroth'd unto your enemie: Divorce mee,'untie, or breake that knot againe; Take mee to You, imprison mee, for I Except You'enthrall mee, never shall be free, Onomatopeia Nor ever chast, except you ravish me.  Alliteration  Simile  Metaphor  Rhyme  Onamatopeia

Personal Feelings  Wants God to intervene in his life and break him away from Satan. - “Divorce me, untie or break that knot again” - Married to sin and wants God to tear him away from that lifestyle. Forgiveness is not gonna work - Needs to have a complete “makeover” If God is willing to enslave him, he will be pure and holy again.

Critical Analysis  “Donne’s speaker presents God with the seeming paradox that without God ravishing him, he can never achieve purity” (Sweeney 49).  “The theme seems to be about the conflict between the poet and Satan” (Elgamall).

Works Cited  Donne, John “Batter My Heart Three- Personed God” Holy Sonnets. London Print  Sweeney, Bethany. "Ravish My Heart: The Negotiation of Queer Liminal Space in John Donne's "Batter My Heart"" /hctr/trans-scripts/2012/2012_02_05.pdf. N.p., n.d. Web.