Showcasing the creative power of one of the most
outstanding English Metaphysical Poets, the ''Penguin
Classics'' edition of John Donne's ''Selected Poems''
includes an introduction and notes by Ilona Bell.
Regarded by many as the greatest of the Metaphysical
poets, John Donne was also among the most intriguing
figures of the Renaissance. A sensualist who composed
erotic and playful love poetry in his youth, he was
raised a Catholic but later became one of the most
admired Protestant preachers of his time. ''The Selected
Poems'' reflects this wide diversity, and includes his
youthful Songs and Sonnets, epigrams, elegies, letters,
satires, and the profoundly moving ''Divine Poems''
composed towards the end of his life. From joyful poems
such as ''The Flea'', which transforms the image of a
louse into something marvellous, to the intimate and
intense ''Holy Sonnets'', Donne breathed new vigour into
poetry by drawing lucid and often startling metaphors
from the world in which he lived. His poems remain among
the most passionate, profound and spiritual in the
English language. Ilona Bell's introduction considers
Donne's life, faith and influence.This edition also
includes detailed notes and a further reading list. John
Donne (1[zasłonięte]572-16) was born into a family of devout
Catholics. He studied at Oxford University, travelled on
the continent, and then studied law at Lincoln's Inn. In
the early 1600s Donne became a Member of Parliament and
Justice of the Peace, obtaining temporary positions and
patronage from a number of aristocrats who are the
subjects of his poems. He was ordained as an Anglican
minister in 1615, and in 1621 was made Dean of St.
Paul's Cathedral, a position he held until his death. If
you enjoyed Donne's ''Selected Poems'', you might enjoy
John Milton's ''Paradise Lost'', also available in
''Penguin Classics''. |
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