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Home Poetry Holy Sonnet XIV by John Donne

Holy Sonnet XIV by John Donne

Posted on May 26, 2012 Written by Mark McIntyre 1 Comment


John Donne
John Donne

This sonnet has been on my mind a lot this past week and I thought that I would share it. I won’t spoil it by adding commentary. This is Holy Sonnet XIV by 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.


Filed Under: Poetry Tagged With: God

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

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