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Question: Can someone explain this poem "Batter my heart, three-personed God" by John Donne!?
Batter my heart, three-personed 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 unsurped town, to another due,
Labor to admit You, but Oh, to no end!
Reason, Your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captivated, and proves weak or untrue!.
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!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
In short, the poem is about his relationship with God!. He sees him as the almighty but still feels week for human desires as he fights with no end and asks for his strength to continue!. He sees God as his only possible salvation from all the tyranny and worldly temptations (Take me to You, imprison me, for I, Except You entrall me, never shall be free)Www@QuestionHome@Com

i think it's saying that this person is like 3 kinds of god!. one ravishing, one imprisoning and one defendingWww@QuestionHome@Com

YEP! He's saying he wants God to be a rapist!. Donne is a metaphysical poet, which means he uses Metaphysical Conceits or, as Dr!. Johnson describes them, "the most heterogeneous ideas yoked by violence together!." I'll translate: Donne catches the reader's attention by using a bizarre or outrageous comparison, causing you to think about something you'd otherwise dismiss!.
In this case, Donne is saying that if God just offers the grace of salvation, sinful mankind will turn it down -- sex, drugs and rock & roll are more fun than sermons, duty and righteousness & rigor!. Being a clergyman, Donne is flirting with the idea of Predestination and Irresistable Grace: if God wants to save you, he reconfigures your spiritual hard drive so that virtue is effortless and sin is repellent -- think "Clockwork Orange!." A paraphrase would be, "God, don't court me gently; fling me down and shove your [Divine] love into me!." Then there's the political analogy sandwiched within the seduction/assault analogy!. That's chapter two in the lecture!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Holy Sonnet 14 is one of John Donne's series of Holy Sonnets!. It has t a clever extended metaphor (a "metaphysical conceit" if you want the fancy term), and it covers the major recurrent theme in Donne's poetry – a possibly conflicting passion for both carnal and divine love!.

If you're inclined to read the poem biographically, Holy Sonnet 14 represents the peak of Donne's conflict between secular and religious lives, and his efforts to reconcile his newfound sacred love with the more familiar, earthly variety!.

From Shmoop Poetry/Battery My HeartWww@QuestionHome@Com