Poetry Essay - Batter My Heart Three-Personed God
Poetry Essay – Batter My Heart Three-Personed God Brooke Estes
Liberty University
Thesis Statement
The poem, “Batter my heart, three-personed God” written by John Donne carries a powerful message conveying the writer’s awareness of his need for God, while expressing humility and reverence knowing that God’s truth is all-powerful and can set him free.
Outline 1. Awareness 2. Reverence 3. Humility
Poetry Essay – Batter My Heart Three-Personed God The poem “Batter My Heart, Three-personed God” by John Donne is a violent plea of repentance from a humbled man to his Creator. This plea, however, is not a cry for God’s mercy, but instead is a request for a brutal and almost violent overtaking by the Holy Spirit. Donne is aware that he needs God’s deliverance from the clutches of Satan. This poem is an expression of a struggling sinner, a desperate cry seeking for salvation power by extreme measures. It is apparent that Donne is in the midst of a struggle with good and evil, and begins with a plea to God to enter his heart by any means necessary and rid him of the evil that has taken over. Donne uses bold imagery throughout the poem as a way of showing his utter desperation. He is a man completely aware of his need for God and is crying out for help. As we take a look closer at the first four lines of this poem, it seems that Donne may understand that in order to be "made new," he feels that God needs to break him down completely; and in order to rise up, he needs God to knock him over. Donne is most aware of his situation and wants God to not only be in his life, but he wants to be overthrown and shaped into whatever God wants him to be. He is ready to give his soul up to God to be completely and be thoroughly cleansed by God. 2 Corinthians 7:1 states, “…dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit…” The author is seeking such a cleansing from his Master, a cleansing from all of his
Liberty University
Thesis Statement
The poem, “Batter my heart, three-personed God” written by John Donne carries a powerful message conveying the writer’s awareness of his need for God, while expressing humility and reverence knowing that God’s truth is all-powerful and can set him free.
Outline 1. Awareness 2. Reverence 3. Humility
Poetry Essay – Batter My Heart Three-Personed God The poem “Batter My Heart, Three-personed God” by John Donne is a violent plea of repentance from a humbled man to his Creator. This plea, however, is not a cry for God’s mercy, but instead is a request for a brutal and almost violent overtaking by the Holy Spirit. Donne is aware that he needs God’s deliverance from the clutches of Satan. This poem is an expression of a struggling sinner, a desperate cry seeking for salvation power by extreme measures. It is apparent that Donne is in the midst of a struggle with good and evil, and begins with a plea to God to enter his heart by any means necessary and rid him of the evil that has taken over. Donne uses bold imagery throughout the poem as a way of showing his utter desperation. He is a man completely aware of his need for God and is crying out for help. As we take a look closer at the first four lines of this poem, it seems that Donne may understand that in order to be "made new," he feels that God needs to break him down completely; and in order to rise up, he needs God to knock him over. Donne is most aware of his situation and wants God to not only be in his life, but he wants to be overthrown and shaped into whatever God wants him to be. He is ready to give his soul up to God to be completely and be thoroughly cleansed by God. 2 Corinthians 7:1 states, “…dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit…” The author is seeking such a cleansing from his Master, a cleansing from all of his