Batter My Heart : Literary devices
Batter My Heart is a notable literary work by John Donne. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Batter My Heart.
Literary devices
Figures of Speech
Apostrophe
An apostrophe means speaking directly to someone who is not present or to something that cannot respond. In this poem, the speaker talks directly to God as if God is right in front of him.
Example:
“Batter my heart, three-person’d God”
The speaker is talking to God with strong emotions, asking Him to enter his heart.
Metaphor
Comparing two different things without using “like” or “as.”
Example:
“I, like an usurp’d town to another due”
The speaker compares himself to a city that has been taken over by the enemy (Satan or sin). He says he really belongs to God, but his soul is now under the enemy’s control.
Personification
Personification is giving human qualities to something non-human. In this poem, the speaker personifies Reason. The speaker says Reason (a part of his mind) is like a weak person who cannot help him.
“Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captiv’d…”
He treats reason like a person (a guide or helper) who has failed in doing his duty.
Symbols
The Usurped Town: In the poem, the usurped town is the symbol of the speaker’s soul, which is taken over by sin/Satan. This city (his soul) really belongs to God. But sin has taken control of it. This symbol shows how the speaker feels trapped by sin. He wants God to fight and win him back.