John Donne - Delphi Poets Series
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Authors: John Donne
JOHN DONNE
(1572-1631)
Contents
LIST OF POEMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
LIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
DEVOTIONS UPON EMERGENT OCCASIONS
THE LIFE OF DR. JOHN DONNE by Izaak Walton
©
Delphi Classics 2012
Version 1
JOHN DONNE
By Delphi Classics, 2012
NOTE
When reading poetry on an eReader, it is advisable to use a small font size, which will allow the lines of poetry to display correctly.
The Poetry Collections
Bread Street, London — Donne’s birthplace
London in Donne’s time
SONGS AND SONNETS
John Donne is now generally considered the most prominent member of what would later be termed the Metaphysical poets - a phrase coined in 1781 by the critic Dr Johnson. Previously the poet John Dryden had written of Donne in 1693 as affecting “the metaphysics, not only in his satires, but in his amorous verses, where nature only should reign; and perplexes the minds of the fair sex with nice speculations of philosophy, when he should engage their hearts, and entertain them with the softnesses of love.” In response to this comment, Dr Johnson wrote in his
Life of Cowley
that at the beginning of the seventeenth century there “appeared a race of writers that may be termed the metaphysical poets”. The phrase caught on and critics have ever since referred to Donne and fellow poets such as Andrew Marvell and George Herbert in this way.
Metaphysical poetry is concerned with abstract thought, imaginative conceits or philosophical subjects treated with levity and irony. Therefore, the metaphysical style of poetry is characterised by wit and intangible conceits. These poems often provide far-fetched or unusual similes or metaphors, which are then extended in an epigram format.
Donne published very little poetry in his lifetime, securing more fame as a preacher of sermons than a writer of verses. His earliest poems demonstrate an understanding of English society, which he often attacks with harsh criticism. It wasn’t until two years after Donne’s death in 1633, when this famous collection of his songs and sonnets was first published. Many of the poems are from his early days as a writer and the collection is particularly memorable for the erotic poems it contains. In these works Donne has been praised for his use of unconventional metaphors, with the most famous being employed to great comedic effect in
The Flea
. In the poem, as a flea bites two lovers one after another, the poet compares the act to sex, arguing that they may as well now regard themselves as physical lovers. However, these poems also contain some of the most beautiful poetry from the seventeenth century, with works such as
Break of Day
and
The Sun Rising
, exemplifying Donne’s ability to achieve a lyrical beauty and strong atmosphere of passionate love in his poetry.
