... he implores God to "'o'erthrow' and 'break' him, like some sort of tinker's creation" (Payne 1). In this interpretation, the first four lines seem to indicate a violent struggle rather than a romantic interlude. William kerrigan addresses this element of the poem by pointing out that John Donne could only imagine God from a human perspective. An argument could be created that "Batter my heart ... ...

• Word Count: 2802
• Approx Pages: 11

... into an otherwise impenetrable soul. Supporting the theory that this poem is about divine rape, Kesinger details how the first four lines seem to indicate a violent struggle rather than a romantic interlude. The sense of violence comes mostly from the 14 verbs Donne uses, -Knock, -Breathe, most of them in the imperative mood. The masochistic perception comes through as one considers that ... ...

• Word Count: 7662
• Approx Pages: 31
• Grade Level: High School