The Greatest Poems of John Donne (eBook)

John Donne (1572–1631), an English poet, satirist, lawyer and cleric, is best regarded for his metaphysical poetry, replete with wit, irony, and the use of paradox. Born into a Catholic family at a time when England was fraught with religious turbulence, Donne's early years were marked by persecution and the loss of his father at age four. Nevertheless, he studied at both Oxford and Cambridge but never graduated due to his faith. Donne's early works were noted for their erotic and sensual nature, exemplified in the collection 'Songs and Sonnets'. However, after his marriage to Anne More and an eventual career change due to financial hardships – leading him from a Member of Parliament to an Anglican priest – his writing took on a more somber and pious tone. Donne's later religious poems are considered among his finest and are well-represented in 'The Greatest Poems of John Donne.' A master of the metaphysical conceit, Donne's poetry often draws intellectual comparisons between two seemingly dissimilar things. His meditative works reflect upon death, love, and the divine, showcasing his deep humanity and grappling with the existential. 'Devotions upon Emergent Occasions', written after a near-fatal illness, includes the meditation that contains the famous lines 'No man is an island' and 'for whom the bell tolls', indicating his profound understanding that human beings are intricately connected. Donne died in 1631 after a long illness, leaving behind a rich legacy that continues to influence modern poetry and literature.