English poetry

PoetsBiographiesPoems by ThemesRandom Poem
The Rating of PoetsThe Rating of Poems

Poem by John Donne


Holy Sonnet 14. Batter my heart, three-person'd God; for you


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. 



John Donne


John Donne's other poems:
  1. Holy Sonnet 8. If faithful souls be alike glorified
  2. Holy Sonnet 12. Why are we by all creatures waited on?
  3. Holy Sonnet 5. I am a little world made cunningly
  4. Holy Sonnet 9. If poisonous minerals, and if that tree
  5. Holy Sonnet 13. What if this present were the world's last night?


Poem to print Print

2222 Views



Last Poems


To Russian version



English Poetry. E-mail eng-poetry.ru@yandex.ru