Understanding John Donne's "Batter My Heart, Three-personed God"

[@RitikaBharti-fb9eg]

This video felt more like a comforting spiritual talk with your therapist, rather than a lecture.... Sincerely loved it

[@PoetELouis]

"Except you enthrall me, never shall be free, Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me." Unless You capture my attention/affection, never shall I be free, nor shall I ever be sexually pure, unless You fill me with Your delight. I do not believe he was asking God to engage him sexually at all. Rather, he was acknowledging his need of spiritual delight in order to overcome his carnal desires, namely sexual lust. It appears that he was a slave to his sexual appetite and understood that his freedom could only come from being spiritually fulfilled. This poem is a beautiful humble plea for help.

[@DaviddeSilva]

I would suggest that "batter" does not mean "destroy" at all, though it is a call to violent engagement. Perhaps also "shine" should not be taken as God "shining on me" but as an action parallel to knocking, breathing, and mending. I think the conceit is that of a tinker who repairs/refurbishes pots and the like, knocking out dents, breathing moisture upon the surface and rubbing it to restore its shine, and so forth. Donne thus calls upon God to do more than tinker with him! (I once had mistaken the "knocking" for "knocking at the heart" to come in as well, but that seems not to be the dominant image here for it, too, doesn't give proper weight to all the other verbs in the second line.)

[@jiles7726]

Thanks! What a brilliant way to make sense of that cluster of verbs. It had sounded like a vague hodgepodge until I read your comment. Maybe the narrator should be glad life's been easy on him to still only show him the gentle tinker side of God. The other side is not something any sincere person in their right mind would want to be calling for.

[@englishmadesimplerbyjoan4058]

I fall in love with the poem whenever I come back to listen

[@alan1507]

I wonder if there is any significance in the relationship between "three-person'd God" and the two sets of three words Knock, Breathe, Shine and their more violent counterparts Break, Blow, Burn. I think it's possible to equate the first three with the three persons of the Trinity. "Knock" from Revelation 3:20, where Jesus knocks on the door and we have to open the door and let him in, "Breathe" could indicate God the Father - the first creative act with a human being to "breathe the breath of life" in to Adam's nostrils (in Genesis ch 2), and "Shine" could indicate the light of the holy spirit. Then the three counterparts become more violent versions. Knock becomes Break (down the door), Blow (apart) and Burn. (possibly referring to the "refiner's fire" in Malachi - also text in Handel's Messiah.

[@Pieroginageorge]

I cannot wait for my literature classes next semester! Thank you for everything!

[@SixMinuteScholar]

You're welcome!

[@ebrahimriyad8188]

a new understanding has been developed in my mind about the relationship with God by your thorough simple teachings but has deep thinking if i catch these worlds according to my present life

[@manuelgutierrez8920]

I’ve always loved this sonnet but your explanation has given me additional understanding and basis for enjoying it more yet. Thank you.

[@SixMinuteScholar]

You're welcome! It's a lovely sonnet, all right. :-)

[@liamfowler91]

This helped me study for a midterm, Thank you!

[@KEVINKEVINKEVINWWW]

Thank you! So glad you take the time to do such worthwhile things as these.

[@dasunperamuna8945]

Exellent work. Thank you very much.

[@love_maryjennel]

thank you so much for this well-explained video ma'am.

[@izak5775]

This was very insightful. Thank you.

[@j_moanji21]

Thank you for this ma'am. I will present this in my lit class next week.

[@kasunkavishka2976]

Great analysis, thank you very much! :)

[@CondessaAnasta]

Thank you so much! What a wonderful lesson!

[@Reem-qd5hn]

What a skill ! I mean my teacher explains this poem for 2 hours, yet nobody understands . You explained it for 17 minutes and damn I find it easy& interesting one !! Thank u so much 💜💜

[@ellyreads4886]

I really like your approach of analysis.. not so sophisticated yet it serves academic purposes, so it is suitable for everyone.

[@joshuannachi_6]

I really appreciate. Your touch upon the verse is quite insightful.

[@szekertamara6396]

Thank you for the clear explanation 😊

[@DeeptiVishwakarmaindi12]

this is so helpful. thank you so much, you're great

[@rexdarko1696]

Learned this poem a night before my exams. Thank you 💗.

[@Stephanie-rg5ln]

we analyzed this in AP lit and all of us had so many different speculations!! Wish I could have seen this then so that I could have had more certainty in my thoughts!! really complex work!! 💫

[@SixMinuteScholar]

Yes, so true!

[@danih9887]

Thank you! Ready to ace this midterm

[@Strengthinnumbers-gv4pi]

Since I been watching you’re videos i understand sonnet in my English class very easy

[@janareister4200]

Thank you for sharing your wisdom - very helpful and interesting!

[@danielortega2441]

I love you and your videos...Very very much ..........Taken on more complex and difficult poems.

[@katherinefreidlinesalahald607]

This poem with its dual ' I seek U/

[@peterawingura5074]

Waow! well understood. Thank you so much and God bless you

[@ellyreads4886]

I have enjoyed your explanation so much. Please make more videos

[@elizabethwmclean8145]

To understand this poem you need to read Romans 7 and the first verse of 8, “Who shall save me from this body of death?”

[@orsolyanyirati6645]

It was really helpful for me before my British Literature exam. :) Thanks a lot!

[@tatianasan3222]

Thanks so much YOU ARE THE BEST!!

[@KEVINKEVINKEVINWWW]

May I ask for more John Donne?

[@tatianasan3222]

your voice is so soothing :3

[@flaviopecani1251]

tomorrow I have a test so this helped me, thanks from italy 🇮🇹

[@thanos8861]

Thank you so much, great content!

[@bbccenglish102steveclose4]

Fabulous reading. What do you do with the word "enemy?" My students often read this as a reference to Satan, but that seems unlikely given Donne's faith.

[@X87816]

Thank you for a great explanation of this poem. I really enjoyed it, though I'm not exactly a fan of John Donne. But you make it clear abd understandable. Thanks again. Looking forward to your next video.

[@michaelasabrekwame545]

Merci.....

[@samadhimethma5355]

You look so good madam.. you tell whatever you say from your heart.. which i like the most..

[@esaurita8427]

You were great! Good explanation

[@kevinhughes3477]

chastity is not actually being without any sexual contact. Chastity is different from celibacy. It simply means to be sexually pure.

[@SixMinuteScholar]

Thank you for that clarification!

[@askvideostatus1818]

i got a lot of ideas about this poem

[@Alaa-ot3dn]

Hello, Hope you’re doing well Can you please name the Sources of your lesson.

[@francesbkarenlee4219]

This was really helpful!!! I work as a translator. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge!

[@VanessaGarcia-zg1vv]

Can you please do a understating “The Fall of the House is Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe.

[@aaqibaliey477]

Ravish thee

[@IRSHADALIification]

well explained

[@GG-uk3dn]

There you are! I stumbled on a great poem and was hoping you would cover it but couldnt find you--Say Not the Struggle Naught Availeth by Arthur Clough--like your. Reviews-

[@SixMinuteScholar]

Nice to have you back!

[@tarashadow8401]

So this just saved my English presentation

[@nirupagamage5475]

good job

[@wuup1278]

you know i love you

[@fantasyclips8731]

It is paradoxical....

[@preeth3127]

Thank u so mch mam...great explanation. Its really helpful.....

[@metomigakuen]

People here might find John Adams' aria based on the poem interesting: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d524eX5-gdCSjLc

[@slowmercy69]

This poem is ... so funny for an immature guy such as me. Thanks for the video.

[@amrjitsingh7901]

kal tak plzzzzz

[@Al-tr2ui]

한잔하고오꼐

[@Al-tr2ui]

한진

[@aaqibaliey477]

Ravish means...to seize and takeover me in your kingdom as I will not ever be free!!

[@shootsnoot7027]

this poem has bottom energy

[@girlynathalie]

What a weird perception John Donne had🧐

[@Inkdraft]

@girlynathalie: Because he wanted God to renew his life and mold him into the man God intended him to be? That's what God wants to do with all of us. Give us the life he wants us to have, not the life the world has molded us into. Donne is telling God that he wants to be made in the image of Christ but that his flesh rebels against what his heart wants so he askes God to take over. To save us from ourselves.

[@amrjitsingh7901]

hindi mein expain kijiay plzzz....

[@Mr.Ambrose_Dyer_Armitage_Esq.]

What the hell am I looking at?

[@michaelgeiger4043]

imprison me = protect me. Protective custody.

[@Al-tr2ui]

결혼 햇나요

[@jiles7726]

Thanks for your video! Maybe it's just me but the narrator of this poem doesn't sound very sincere at all.

[@anushkaoshan611]

I am not happy abouut this explanation. This is different from other lecturers' explanations.