John Donne: An Explication of

John Donne: An explication of the violent, sexual metaphors and images of the religious "Sonnet XIV" Traditionally, before John Donne, the sonnet structure in poetry was used as part of a sequence, written by the loving, courtly poet to woo his beloved, often unattainable poetic subject. However, in the case of John Donne's "Holy Sonnet XIV," Donne writes his poems to the persona, not of an idealized female, but to the God of the Christian Trinity.

This is evident by the poet's reference to the three-personed nature of God of the poem's first line. Throughout his sonnet, Donne uses romantic language in his poem's images and metaphors to describe his relationship to the divine. This language is thus commensurate with the usual use of the sonnet, although it is directed to a different object of poetic affection. Romantic language is used to convey the ardor of the poet.

It is also used to give a sense of, if not unrequited love, then the removed sense of love between humans on earth and God in heaven. Batter my heart, three-personed God; for you/as yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;" says Donne in lines 1-2. While the Christian God loves his creation, God's love can also seem cruel, because of the fallen nature of the human soul.

Thus God, while seeking to mend the poet's nature, causes a feeling of battering of in the human heart similar to that of the courtly lover's love for his unobtainable mistress. The first line of the sonnet is a command, that of asking God to "batter" the poet's heart, rather than the usual soft, unstressed iamb as is typical of sonnet verse.

The poet pleads, as the result of this battering suffering to be resurrected in his sprit, "That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend/Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new." (Lines 3-4) Jesus' redemptive suffering is hopefully paralleled in the poet's sense of painful love.

When the poet says that "I like an usurped town, to another due," he speaks as though Satan has usurped or overcome the town of his heart, even while though the poet, does "Labor to admit you, but O, to no end;/for Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend," against such evil impingements, but human reason, "but is captived, and proves weak or untrue." (Lines 5-7) the metaphor of the poet being like a battered and invaded town that is impinged upon by outsiders yet still strives to let in the saving forces suggests both a medieval castle and the poet's divided alliances between the world (evil) and God (good).

The second half of the poem creates further parallels the relationship of the poet to God. The next metaphor, after the castle, suggests that the poet and God's state of affections are like a marriage vow, as word 'yet' marks the transition between thoughts. "yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain, / but am betrothed unto your enemy.

/ Divorce me, untie or break that knot again;" (8-11) the poet is like a bride who has been betrothed, because of human's fallen nature, to another being besides God, the enemy (presumably Satan or evil in general.) This is despite the bride's inner and stronger love for the only true divine being, that of the Trinitarian God. But even despite this unfortunate state of affairs, the poet's love is so strong that God can never abandon.