Topic > Donne's Holy Sonnet XIV as a Proclamation of Intimacy with God

The “Holy Sonnet This poem insinuates that he wants a platonically intimate relationship with God, but the ambiguous meanings of the words could be interpreted as Donne's desire for God to abuse him sexually. The sexual imagery used by Donne is so descriptively offensive that it might as well be described as rape imagery. Donne equally uses religious and sexual representations to further emphasize the closeness he wants to have with God. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayDonne uses harsh language in "Sacred Sonnet XIV" to show that he is infatuated with the idea of ​​God sexually abusing him. Donne wants God to repeatedly strike his heart instead of gently asking Donne to come into God's arms and accept His word. In the book of Revelation, God says in the Apocalypse "behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with Me." (Revelations.3.20 ) God is a benevolent being, a shining figure and one who seeks broken souls to mend, emphasized in the second line when Donne says in the poem “still but knock, breathe, shine and seek to mend” (Donne line 2). for God to force himself into Donne's soul is the opposite of what God is depicted as doing in biblical texts. He asks God to abuse him, the opposite of what God is depicted as doing because he feels he does not deserve His. love. Donne also compares himself to a city that wants God to usurp or take away from him. Donne is the usurper of his love and faith in God, which is this city, and mentions in the poem that the city belongs to a other, whose owner is God. He then states that he works to admit it to God, but finds it difficult. This goes back to the first line, where Donne says "beat my heart, triune God" (Donne line 1) because beating refers. even to the attack on the fortress of a city. The use of these harsh words in poetry, such as beat, overthrow, bend, break, blow, burn, divorce, untie, break, take, imprison, captivate, rape, creates a violent image of God. Another example of the Il harsh language that Donne uses is in lines four and five of the poem. Donne wants God to take control of his old, irreparable soul to make way for a new soul. The harsh alliteration that Donne uses in the fourth line of the poem shows how violent he wants God to be with him, which suggests sexual violence. Donne wants God to use his strength to “break, blow, burn, and renew” (Donne line 4). This describes God's desire to dominate Donne in a sexual way, evident when, in the poem, Donne says “overthrow me and bend/bend your strength, to break, to blow, to burn” (Donne, lines 4-5). Donne wants God to tear him to pieces, blow his dust onto the ground, and burn his remains. He wants God to do this because he wants God to remake him in his image through violent means so that God will take him back. The repetition of the opening sound in the fourth line of the poem shows the reader the sexual punishment he wishes to receive from God. In lines seven and eight of the "Sacred Sonnet XIV", Donne talks about his unfaithful relationship with God. The way the relationship is more like a humanized marital relationship and not a more religious relationship with God in the traditional sense. Donne tells God that reason is his ruler and should defend him, but is imprisoned. The imprisonment of his reason "proves weak and false".