Thesis Of Batter My Heart, Three-Personed God

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Thesis Statement
“Batter my heart, three-personed God” relays a very power message to its readers. I helps us to understand his need for God, while also expressing humility and reverence knowing that God holds all truths and that he has all the power to lead him to a life of freedom.

Outline
1. Awareness
2. Reverence
3. Humility

In the poem “Batter My Heart, Three-personed God” by John Donne a plea of repentance is being seeked from a humbled man to his Creator. Donne has fell into the clutches of Satan and he is in desperate need of God’s mercy, however the poem doesn’t seem to be a plea for that mercy it is more along the lines of a violent cry out for the Holy Spirit to take over. This poem is a young man that is struggling with sin, and is seeking salvation by any means possible; he is even willing to take desperate measures to have salvation. Donne is in a constant struggle between good and evil. In the poem Donne is pleasing with God to enter into his heart and rid him of all of the evil that has overtaken him. Bold imagery is used throughout the poem to explain the constant struggle that the writer is experiencing that the given time.
The speaker of the poem believes himself to be weak in his faith and he wants to be conquered by God and not by Satan.
“Batter my heart, three-personed God ; for you” (John Donne)
“As yet but knock ; breathe, shine, and seek to mend ;” (John Donne)
“That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend “(John Donne)
“Your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.” (John Donne)
During the first four lines of the poem the speaker feels like God has been very generous to him, he feels that God is almost too friendly and that he has been too caring. Donne feels that in orde...

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...ery interesting debate, because those word choices that are used for enthrall and ravish can also mean powerful feeling of astonishment and joy. However we do know that God is powerful and mighty and he can even be violent when it is needed an example of the violence would be the flood of Noah’s time.
I find this poem to be exceptional in its meaning, in fact the verse that comes to mind when thinking of this poem is Psalm 51:17 “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Holy Bible, New Testament) I believe that the speaker has meaning behind his words he knows that a complete peace and joy come from the awareness of one’s sin, he also believes in the submission of himself to God and the humility of heart.

Reference
John Donne; Batter My Heart, Three-personed God.
Holy Bible, New Testament

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