Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

every single concept that is valued, there is an opposite concept that is unprivileged. Although Western
thinking is constrained by logocentrism and so privileges certain values or explanations over others, “no
hierarchy or binary operation is right and no other is wrong” (Bressler 127). When the binary oppositions
or operations in a text can be reversed, the text is opened up to more possible meanings.
In conclusion, the poem “Batter My Heart” is full of ambiguous diction, aporias, and tensions that
are never resolved. The speaker’s true religious identity and the nature of his prayer are never clearly
revealed. The struggle between faith and doubt is never settled. The binary oppositions in the poem can all
be inverted and generate alternate interpretations of the text. Since “Batter My Heart “has many meanings
and, therefore, no definitive interpretation,” it is by definition undecideable (Bressler 116-117). There is no
single, definitive meaning for this text just as there is no one true meaning for any written work.
Works Cited
“Batter.” v. 1 Def. 1. Oxford English Dictionary Online. 2 nd ed. Oxford UP, 2010. Web. 21. Nov.
2010.
Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. 4 th ed. New
Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007.
Donne, John. “Batter My Heart.” Poetry, An Introduction. Ed. Michael Meyer. 6 th ed. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 365-366. Print.
“Enthral/Entrall” v. Def. 1 and 2. Oxford English Dictionary Online. 2 nd ed. Oxford UP, 2010. Web. 2 Dec.
2010.
Holy Bible, New International Version. Colorado Springs: International Bible Society, 1984.
“Ravish” v. Def. 1b. and 5b. Oxford English Dictionary Online. 2 nd ed. Oxford UP, 2010. Web.
21 Nov. 2010.
“Satan.” Def. 2a. Oxford English Dictionary Online. 2 nd ed. Oxford UP, 2010. Web. 2
Dec. 2010.
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