• John Donne's Poem "Holy Sonnet 14" And Its ...

  Contributed by Jay Winters on May 30, 2006 (message contributor)

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  Scripture:  1 John 4:10

  Tags:  Christian Love

  Denomination: Lutheran

John Donne’s Poem "Holy Sonnet 14" and its meaning for human and divine relationships. I John 4:10. 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."

This illustration evokes something that we often forget about in Christianity, the picture of Christ as Bridegroom and lover of the Church and of believers.