Day Two

As I mentioned yesterday, John Donne was one of the poets who first turned me off to poetry. However, my understanding, and thus my appreciation, of him has deepened over the years. I still find "The Flea" disturbing and revolting, but this sonnet is my current favorite of his, mainly because it sounds so great when read aloud (do it! read it out loud!).

Sonnet XIV
John Donne

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,
Labour to admit you, but O, to no end.
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captived, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved 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.


I don't know how I feel about the idea of being betrothed to Satan or being "ravished" by God. It is certainly an unconventional idea. In my 291 class we talked about Donne's wrestle with God in this poem and how it is mirrored by a wrestle with poetic form. Sonnets are difficult to write; the rhythm, meter, rhyme scheme, and structure can all be roadblocks to expression. In this case however, the structure aids Donne in expressing the intensity of his emotions by condensing them into such a small, restricted space.
Thoughts?