John Donne's Holy Sonnet 14

John Donne’s “Holy Sonnet 14” is an excellent literary work describing one man’s relationship with the Christian God. Donne states that he must be broken before he can be made anew, and uses multiple literary techniques to accurately display his message. God, in the divine mystery of the Holy Trinity, is called, a “three person’d God.”

            “Batter my heart, three person’d God.” Donne begins his poem with these words, stating that he wishes for God to attack his heart. The narrator believes that God has smiled upon him far too much in recent days, and he desires to experience life for what it truly can be. Soon after, Donne states that he will “rise, and stand.” This is referring to his wish to be knocked over, so he may stand again in triumph over his toils.

            Next, Donne uses a metaphor of a town to adequately describe his current feelings regarding his current societal stature. Donne believes that he is only standing because he has been filed with an entity that is not God, and parallels this torture to his town. He states that his town has been captured by something that is not God, and must be vacated, then filled again with God’s spirit.

            Donne concludes his poem with “Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.” These words coincide with the beginning theme of the poem. Ravish is an extravagant and more acceptable word for forced intercourse, or rape. Donne believes that he is currently chaste, and wants to lose his chastity to the spirit of God in a violent and intimate manner. Although the poem does not suggest sexual intercourse itself, is suggests that Donne needs to be filled with the power of God. He must be forced to see that the will of divinity is done.

            John Donne’s “Holy Sonnet 14” is an ingenious work of literary art that describes the entering of God into one’s soul as a violent act of terror that is necessary for a person to survive. Donne wishes to be filled by the spirit of the Holy Trinity, and be violently shaken from his current life. He wishes to be “ravished” by a malevolent act of violence in order to become enlightened.