My God, my God, thou art a direct God, may I not say a…
““My God, my God, thou art a direct God, may I not say a literal God, a God that wouldst be understood literally and according to the plain sense of all thou sayest, but thou art also (Lord, I intend it to thy glory, and let no profane misinterpreter abuse it to thy dimunition), thou art a figurative, a metaphorical God too, a God in whose words there is such a height of figures, such voyages, such peregrinations to fetch remote and precious metaphors, such extensions, such spreadings, such curtains of allegories, such third heavens of hyperboles, so harmonious elocutions, so retired and so reserved expressions, so commanding persuasions, so persuading commandments, such sinews even in thy milk, and such things in thy words, as all profane authors seem of the seed of the serpent that creeps, thou art the Dove that flies. (Donne, Devotions 1624, as quoted in Fish, How to Write a Sentence p 142)””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
God can be described both literally and figuratively, using rich metaphor to convey divine complexity.
In simple terms: God can be literal and metaphorical.
Key Takeaway
Use metaphor to explore deep ideas.
Themes
theology
language
metaphor
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- preaching
- literary analysis
- personal belief
- artistic creation
Key Concepts
symbolism
poetics
interpretation
Questions to Reflect On
- How do metaphors shape belief?
- When is literal description insufficient?
A Different Perspective
Literal language may limit spiritual nuance.