Holy Sonnet 14 (Batter My Heart)

¹Batter my heart, three-person'd God, for you

²As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;

³That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend

⁴Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.

⁵I, like an usurp'd town to another due,

⁶Labour to admit you, but oh, to no end;

⁷Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,

⁸But is captiv'd, and proves weak or untrue.

⁹Yet dearly I love you, and would be lov'd fain,

¹⁰But am betroth'd unto your enemy;

¹¹Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,

¹²Take me to you, imprison me, for I,

¹³Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,

¹⁴Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.