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Batter my heart by John Donne

 

Batter my heart

by John Donne

 

The poem is a plea for God to enter and take over the poet's life, thus saving him from the power of Satan. The idea that the Christian Church can be seen as the Bride of Christ comes from the Bible. The poet compares God with tinker and himself with a pot. He compares his soul with the town. This town, he confesses is inhabited by devils and he cannot be redeemed with ordinary mending so God should shatter him completely and re-shape him.

 

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.

 

‘Batter my Heart’ is one of the beautiful religious sonnets of Donne. The poet here is picturing an afflicted lover of the God, who is hurt because he is deviated from the holy path to the sinful path. He urges God to make him chaste.

The poet prays to God in his threefold capacity as the father, the son, and the Holy Ghost to batter his heart and reshape it. He is sunk in the sin and method of persuasion is not going to work on him. God has lighted the fire of his love and mercy to purify him and reshape him. But all these methods ended without attaining the Objective. So, God should overthrow the poet and bend his force to break, blow and make him new and free from sin. He is like "an usurped town", who is occupied by the devil. He labors to let the God enter into his body (town), but it turns out a vain effort. He wishes, God to take him with him, imprison him and never-never shall let him free.

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