Unpacking “Batter my heart, three-person’d God”: A Cry for Help

Unpacking “Batter my heart, three-person’d God”: A Cry for Help

Sonnet Batter my heart, three-person’d God Genre Poetry Poet John Donne Published 1633 Collection Poems Theme Longing for spiritual transformation Bits of Information Did you know that John Donne was once a womanizer who wrote erotic poems like “The Flea”? Having embraced religion, he has switched from love to devotional poems. “Sonnet XIV: Batter my…

Unraveling the Contradiction of Oneness in “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”

Unraveling the Contradiction of Oneness in “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”

Poem A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Poet John Donne Published 1633 Name of the collection of poems Songs and Sonnets School of poetry Metaphysical poetry Theme Unity of souls Bits of Information John Donne’s wife, Anne Donne, was pregnant when Donne left for France and Germany as part of his diplomatic mission in 1611. It must…

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130: A Rejection of Beauty Norms

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130: A Rejection of Beauty Norms

Have you ever heard or read some beautiful yet problematic songs like “ye chaand sa roshan chehra, zulfon ka rang sunehra” (This moon-like radiant face, with hair the color of gold) and poems like “O my Luve is like a red, red rose”?  It might sound romantic but they are a little far-fetched. Can you…

The Power of Written Word: Sonnet 18 [Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?]

The Power of Written Word: Sonnet 18 [Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?]

Sonnet 18 Summary Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? is about establishing the power of the written word over time. The speaker asserts the superiority of Fair Youth over a summer’s day. A summer’s day is beautiful and temperate but it is momentary.  He goes on to find the drawbacks of…