John Donne – Biog.
General Info.:
Leading English poet of the Metaphysical school.
Metaphysics is a philosophy concerned with explaining the basic nature of being and the world we live in.
Donne is considered one of the greatest loved poets in the English language.
As well as poetry, he wrote songs and prose (non-poetry).
Known for his: i) witty, passionate arguments ii) dramatic portrayal of complex states of mind, and iii) ability to make common words create rich poetic meaning.
Donne’s work fell out of favour for a time, but was revived in the 20th century by high-profile admirers such as T.S. Eliot and W.B. Yeats.
Life:
Born into a Catholic family in 1572, during a strong anti-Catholic period in England.
Donne’s father, also named John, was a prosperous London merchant.
His mother, Elizabeth Heywood, was the grand-niece of Catholic martyr Thomas More (executed by Henry VIII).
Religion played a tumultuous and passionate role in John’s life.
Studied at both Oxford and Cambridge, but never received degrees, due to his Catholicism.
At age 20, Donne began studying law at Lincoln’s Inn.
Wrote a lot of love lyrics and erotic poems during this time.
Spent much of his money on women, books and travel.
In 1593, John Donne’s brother, Henry, was convicted of Catholic sympathies and died in prison soon after.
The incident led Donne to question his Catholic faith and inspired some of his best writing on religion.
Became a Member of Parliament in 1601.
That same year, he married 16-year-old Anne More (Donne was 31).
Anne’s father, George More, strongly disapproved of the marriage, and, as punishment, he did not provide a dowry.
Donne was also imprisoned for a short time. The eight years following Donne’s release was a struggle for the married couple until Anne’s father finally paid her dowry.
In 1610, Donne published his anti-Catholic rant: “Pseudo-Martyr,” denying his Catholic faith. This won him the king’s favour and patronage from members of the House of Lords.
In 1615, Donne converted to Anglicanism and was appointed Royal Chaplain, and his flair for drama soon established him as a great preacher.
In 1617, John Donne’s wife died shortly after giving birth to their 12th child!
The time for writing love poems was over, and Donne devoted his energies to more religious subjects.
In 1621, Donne became Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and in 1624, he was appointed Vicar of St Dunstan’s-in-the-West and became known for his eloquent sermons.
As Donne’s health began to fail him, he became obsessed with death, reflected in his later poetry.
His compelling poems on life and death influenced English poets for generations.
General Info.:
Leading English poet of the Metaphysical school.
Metaphysics is a philosophy concerned with explaining the basic nature of being and the world we live in.
Donne is considered one of the greatest loved poets in the English language.
As well as poetry, he wrote songs and prose (non-poetry).
Known for his: i) witty, passionate arguments ii) dramatic portrayal of complex states of mind, and iii) ability to make common words create rich poetic meaning.
Donne’s work fell out of favour for a time, but was revived in the 20th century by high-profile admirers such as T.S. Eliot and W.B. Yeats.
Life:
Born into a Catholic family in 1572, during a strong anti-Catholic period in England.
Donne’s father, also named John, was a prosperous London merchant.
His mother, Elizabeth Heywood, was the grand-niece of Catholic martyr Thomas More (executed by Henry VIII).
Religion played a tumultuous and passionate role in John’s life.
Studied at both Oxford and Cambridge, but never received degrees, due to his Catholicism.
At age 20, Donne began studying law at Lincoln’s Inn.
Wrote a lot of love lyrics and erotic poems during this time.
Spent much of his money on women, books and travel.
In 1593, John Donne’s brother, Henry, was convicted of Catholic sympathies and died in prison soon after.
The incident led Donne to question his Catholic faith and inspired some of his best writing on religion.
Became a Member of Parliament in 1601.
That same year, he married 16-year-old Anne More (Donne was 31).
Anne’s father, George More, strongly disapproved of the marriage, and, as punishment, he did not provide a dowry.
Donne was also imprisoned for a short time. The eight years following Donne’s release was a struggle for the married couple until Anne’s father finally paid her dowry.
In 1610, Donne published his anti-Catholic rant: “Pseudo-Martyr,” denying his Catholic faith. This won him the king’s favour and patronage from members of the House of Lords.
In 1615, Donne converted to Anglicanism and was appointed Royal Chaplain, and his flair for drama soon established him as a great preacher.
In 1617, John Donne’s wife died shortly after giving birth to their 12th child!
The time for writing love poems was over, and Donne devoted his energies to more religious subjects.
In 1621, Donne became Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and in 1624, he was appointed Vicar of St Dunstan’s-in-the-West and became known for his eloquent sermons.
As Donne’s health began to fail him, he became obsessed with death, reflected in his later poetry.
His compelling poems on life and death influenced English poets for generations.