Poetry & John Donne

"...I do not like to boast of my own child, but to be sure, Jane--one does not often see anybody better looking. It is what everybody says. I do not trust my own partiality. When she was only fifteen, there was a gentleman in my brother Gardiner's in town so much in love with her that my sister-in-law was sure he would make her an offer before we came away. But, however, he did not. Perhaps he thought her too young. However, he wrote some verses on her, and very pretty they were."
"And so ended his affection," said Elizabeth impatiently. "There has been many a one, I fancy, overcome in the same way. I wonder who first discovered the efficacy of poetry in driving away love!"
"I have been used to consider poetry as the food of love," said Darcy.
"Of a fine, stout, healthy love it may. Everything nourishes what is strong already. But if it be only a slight, thin sort of inclination, I am convinced that one good sonnet will starve it entirely away."
-Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

This is one of my favorite passages from literature. I like it because I usually don't particularly care for poetry; I greatly prefer prose. (I also like it because it addresses a very real phenomenon: too many words of affection too early in a relationship can drive away that slight, thin sort of inclination. That, however, is another issue which I do not care to address in detail at this time.) What I want to express is my appreciation for the poet who managed to teach me that there can be real, great enjoyment in reading poetry. That poet is John Donne (1572-1631). I think I was in high school when I discovered the following poem, a holy sonnet, which became instantly my favorite and remains so to this day (I confess that I do like poetry better now than I did then, although for me it did not take a serious accident like it did for Louisa Musgrove in Jane Austen's Persuasion). He uses words with double meanings (eg. enthrall means to captivate or charm, or to put or hold in slavery or subjugate; ravish means to fill with strong emotion, especially joy, or to seize and carry off by force) that make this poem rich. He is asking God to forcibly enter his life, because he wants that relationship but finds his sinful nature getting in the way. I will spare further commentary, except to say that I am including the poem as it was written, so it has late-16th, early-17th century English with some odd use of apostrophies. ("Faine", or fain as it is currently spelled, means willingly or gladly.)

Batter my heart, three-person'd God; for, you
As yet but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to mend;
That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow mee,'and bend
Your force, to breake, blowe, burn and make me new.
I, like an usurpt towne, to'another due,
Labour to'admit you, but Oh, to no end,
Reason your viceroy in mee, mee should defend,
But is captiv'd, and proves weake or untrue,
Yet dearely'I love you,'and would be lov'd faine,
But am betroth'd unto your enemie,
Divorce mee,'untie, or breake that knot again,
Take mee to you, imprison mee, for I
Except you'enthrall mee, never shall be free,
Nor ever chast, except you ravish mee.
-John Donne