Batter my heart, three-person’d god - John Donne :: English Literature

Batter my heart, three-person’d god - John Donne 1. The paradox in the first quatrain is that god is supposed to be a good person but in this poem he isn’t. The speaker wants god to destroy him and remake him so he could have chance at salvation. The three person’d god represents the ways in which god will manifest his power in the task of giving the speaker salvation. The speaker is compare to an usurped town in may ways. The speaker is compared to a land were two political parties are having a conflict. In the parallel lines 2 and 4 knock and break represent god and how he uses direct force. Breath and blow represent the holy spirit and how it is some thing you can make. A spirit is not something you can feel. Burn and shine is Jesus and how he enlightened the people. The pun is how the heart represents the speakers believes. No matter what god does he cant change it. So he tells god to beat him into salvation. 2. The speaker compares himself to and usurped town where there is conflict. God is the minor political party or train of thought and the usurper is the devil who is the dominating party. Reason plays a big part because as in partisan faction, citizens have the choice to chose their beliefs. The speaker is saying his reason is leaning him towards the devil. This reason however is weak because god has absolute power and can change it at any time. 3. The speaker compares himself to an unfaithful wife who has been caught and is taking her punishment willingly. The speaker also compares god to the absolute power of the husband in that era. The enemy is compared to the devil who is the man that the wife is having