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Poem Analysis Essay
ENGL 102 B07: Literature and Composition
Summer 2011
Linda Vaughn L24421443
June 19, 2011
APA Style

Outline I. Introduction A. Thesis II. Body A. Figures of Speech B. Imagery C. Tone
IV. Conclusion

Introduction Who, at one point or another in their life, has not pleaded with God for some tangible, physical help? Asking Him to take over, prove Himself, so that we can know that He is real and we can give our heart to Him. In the poem “Batter my heart, three-personed God”, written by poet John Donne, the speaker is asking God for exactly that. With his use of metaphors, paradoxes, and alliteration, we can actually feel the speaker’s urgency to be saved. The violent imagery and changes in tone throughout the poem prove just how desperate he is for God to take over control of him.
Body
The title itself, with the metaphor “Batter my heart”, draws the reader in. It captures the attention and makes one curious as to what will happen next in the poem. It gives the reader an image of destruction to an essential essence of life; for without a heart, we cannot survive. Is he stating that there is no life without God? The title also provides the initial tone of the poem. It gives the reader the impression that the speaker is desperate, vulnerable, and seeks to be violently manipulated. As we move on, we find that the speaker believes in the Holy Trinity, as he is pleading to the “three personed God”. He states that so far God is gently and lovingly trying to lead the speaker to Him, saying “you as yet but knock, breathe, shine and seek to mend”, but that this method is not working, he needs a more forceful approach. Donne uses a paradox, stating that he “may rise and stand” if God would just “o’erthrow” him. Then he throws in alliteration to get his point across. He needs God to use His “force, to break, blow, burn and make me new”. Donne is very affective in making the reader see and almost feel the violence the speaker needs to have inflicted upon him to be able to become faithful to God. Notice the similarity in lines 2 and 4: knock-break, breathe-blow, and shine-burn. He is asking God here to stop being a loving caring God and become a violent conquering God. In the first quatrain of this poem, the speaker is begging God to stop being so loving and caring to him; he is a horrible sinner who feels unworthy of God’s love. God should beat him, torture him, and overtake him, for he deserves this for all that he has done. Once God takes out his vengeance, he will be worthy enough to rise up and be made new and be faithful to God alone. In the next quatrain, the tone changes from the speaker being vulnerable to now being a victim. This is also the only time a simile is used in the poem. The speaker says he “is like an unsurp’d town, to another due”. He is telling God that the devil has forced himself upon him and taken over his life. In a sense, he is saying that the devil is stronger than God, and was able to overthrow Him. He is actually blaming God here. He is doing everything possible and working so hard to let God in, but “O, to no end”. The use of the “O” here sounds as if he is looking for sympathy. His reasoning is weak; he is unable to resist the temptations the devil is throwing at him. He knows what is right and wrong, but he does not have any self-control to stop himself from doing what is wrong. The tone then changes once again from vulnerability to humbleness. He declares his love for God, telling Him he loves Him dearly, and would be oh so happy for God to love him also. However, he says he is “betroth’d to your enemy”. The imagery of marriage Donne uses here makes one wonder if the speaker actually does realize that he is at fault for the path he is taking, instead of God’s or the devil’s. He asks God to demolish his marriage to the devil so that he may once again be faithful to Him. It is curious how Donne uses the words “untie, or break that knot”. All along he is telling God to be forceful, yet here it is almost as if he is asking for a gentle untying of a knot, and if that will not satisfy God, then, alright, be forceful. And then he throws in the word “again”. How many times has he asked God for help to escape the devil? Until we get to this part, we assume the speaker has possibly done something, or is about to do something, pretty sinful. The theme of the violence needed to return to God in this poem gives the impression that this is a drastic situation. The use of that one word, again, makes us wonder if perhaps this may be a recurring problem. Here come more paradoxes. The speaker begs God to imprison him so that he can be free. The image of being thrown into a prison reinforces how helpless the speaker feels. He is not strong enough to resist the devil and let God in. What he is really telling God is that he needs Him to take away his free will, make all the decisions for him so that he can be pure of heart. The line “For I except you’enthrall mee, never shall be free” seems to almost be an ultimatum, as if the speaker is saying it is God’s fault once again. For, if God does not take over, then he will just have to stay with the devil. Then he makes sure God understands what he is trying to tell Him by saying, “Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me”. A definition of chaste is pure in thought and deed, and a definition of ravish is to capture and carry off something by force. So he is telling God he will never be pure in thought and deed unless He captures and carries him off with force. Throughout this poem, the speaker is begging for God to force him to be a good Christian, to take away his free will and control his every action. He is desperate to have God be his life, but is afraid he is unable to accomplish that without more help from God.
Conclusion
In the poem “Batter my heart, Three-personed God”, John Donne does a wonderful job of portraying the internal conflicts we all face in life trying to resist temptation. We all have low times, where it would be easier, and maybe more satisfying in the short term, to take the wrong path. Wanting to do what we know deep down is wrong, but maybe seeing it as the easiest, or most satisfying way for us. Who has not begged and pleaded with God for something drastic to happen so that we do not do what we know is wrong? Or cried out to him to show us a sign that he hears us? Bargaining with God, telling Him if only He will do this one thing, I will promise to do something in return to be a better Christian. Donne truly brings to our attention, with the use of figures of speech, tone, and imagery the desperation we feel when we let the devil take over our lives. God has given us free will, and will not violently interfere with that. He will, however, gently and lovingly always be there with open arms to welcome us.

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