Biography of John Donne Essay - 3729 Words

Biography of John Donne John Donne was an English poet and probably the greatest metaphysical poets of all time. He was born in 1572 to a Roman Catholic family in London. His father died when John was young leaving his mother Elisabeth to raise him and his siblings. Throughout Donne’s life his experiences with religion were full of trials and tribulations, something that can be clearly seen in his poetry over time. He remained Catholic early in life while he attended both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Interestingly enough he never received a degree at either university because doing so would have required him to take the Oath of Supremacy, a doctrine that was the core of the Anglican religion recognizing the King as head of the†¦show more content†¦This helped the financial situation significantly and Donne also worked as a lawyer and continued to write, penning the Divine Poems in 1607. During this time in his life Donne displayed a strong knowledge of the Anglican faith, and penned a few anti-Catholic poems, gaining him the respect of King James who encouraged him to become ordained. This position would drastically help his family’s financial status as his family had grown significantly. Done eventually accepted the position reluctantly. In 1617 Anne died giving birth to her twelfth child, who was stillborn. Stricken with grief, Donne was prompted to write the Holy Sonnets that conveyed the love shared both physically and spiritually between Anne and himself. Donne never remarried, and raised his seven remaining children on his own. He became very prominent throughout London for his unique style of preaching, which many were very attracted to and found mesmerizing. In fact, many of his sermons went on to be published (Ross 1). In 1621 Donne became dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral. However, it seemed his last ten years of life were plagued with an obsession of death. He suffered great illness and as he knew that his time of death grew nearer, much of his preaching and writing conveyed his fear of death, until Donne passed away in 1631 (Menon 1). Donne’s literary works enjoyed great popularity and received great admiration during his lifetime and for a good generation after his death. His reputation as aShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of A Valediction Forbidding Mourning 1108 Words   |  5 PagesA Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, John Donne employs conceit, symbolism, and tone to poetically paint a picture of the true love that exist between a man and his wife. John Donne was born on January22, 1572 to a Catholic family in England. (John Donne Biography) In his twenties Donne spent a lot of money on women, books and traveling. ( John Donne Biography) In 1601 Donne became a member of Parliament and married Anne More. ( John Donne Biography) Neither of the families approved ofRead MoreJohn Donne Love Poetry1442 Words   |  6 Pagesmake him stand out as a distinguished poet compared with his contemporaries. John Donnes poetry does not portray the unchanging view of love but express the poet’s genuine and deep emotions and attitudes of different circumstances and experiences. Donne tries to define his experience of love through his own poetry; these experiences are personally felt by the reader as they are part of common human experiences. Donne brings out love as an experience of the body, the soul or at times both, theseRead More John Donnes A Valediction of my Name, In the Window Essay1600 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Donnes A Valediction of my Name, In the Window      Ã‚  Ã‚   My name engraved herein/Doth contribute its firmness to this glass (1-2). It is a small but exquisitely considered act - a man carefully etches his name into a window, hoping to preserve his identity for future generations. Immediately, sensory details flow into my mind at the thought of such a momentous event. The precise scratch of the tool, the small flakes of glass that chip away, the beams of sunlight backlighting my ownRead MoreThe Most Important Of Writers Developed With A New Type Of Fictional Writing2094 Words   |  9 Pagesthrough the 1930’s during and after the war. One of the most important of these writers was John Dos Passos. Dos Passos was a creative novelist where in his writing he analyzed his love/hate relationship with the traditions of American life and consistently questioned the American dream (Wagner-Martin). His full name was John Roderigo Dos Passos. He was born on January 14th, 1896 in Chicago Illinois. His father, John Randolph D os Passos, was a wealthy lawyer who could afford to give him the best educationRead MoreAnalysis Of Annabel Lee By Edgar Allan Poe Essay1989 Words   |  8 Pagescompletely lost in anguish and cannot seem to move on, whereas in â€Å"A valediction; Forbidding Mourning† by John Donne the narrator is accepting of the goodbye because he knows that spiritually they and their love will always be together. The contrasting events that take place are the tragic events after their loved ones being lost, which shows the difference in personalities from authors Poe and Donne and how they view love after a separation. Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, editor, and literaryRead MoreEssay Johnson Poetry Analysis 789 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeare and the other parts by Lord Chamberlain’s Men. His friends and himself called themselves the â€Å"Tribe of Ben† and usually met at the Devil Head. Some of his close friends were William Shakespeare who was in the play â€Å"Every Man Humor and John Donne. The Tribe of Ben also known as the son of Ben was to most of the Cavalier English poets of the 17th century. The Tribe of Ben was a self-description by some of the Cavalier poets who admired and were influenced by Jonsons poetry. Some of the rulesRead MoreHow Does The Language Affect Culture Is Formed And Retained?1201 Words   |  5 Pagesthree types of Vernacular dramas were mystery (based on a biblical story), morality (moral lesson), or Legend. It is important to note that around this time is when the literature definition of legend changed. Up until this point, legends were biographies of Saints, such as the Prioresse’s story in the Canterbury Tales. Once vernacular dramas started to gain popularity, the subjects began to shift from saints to anyone, us ually a hero. Robin Hood is an example of a vernacular legend drama. TheRead MoreIdeology Is A Controversial Concept For A Long Time995 Words   |  4 Pagespractical goals and circumstances shape people’s actions. Different from both of the above, the socialism emphasizes the role of community. â€Å"No man is an Island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main.† Said the poet John Donne. They prefer collaboration rather than competition, and collectivism rather than individualism. Socialists favour interpreting people’s behaviour by social factors, reflecting the importance of nurture. On the other hand, for liberalism, individualsRead MorePoems with Theme with Life and Death and Their Analysis8446 Words   |  34 Pagessomething about the author’s intentions. Although there is a great and natural temptation to take the author at his word, conclusions about theme that are erected on the author’s own statement need careful evaluation. Hence, biographies of some famous/well-known poets, along with their poems, are presented in this paper. Some basic elements of poem and types of poem are included. Structures: A poem is almost captive to the language in which it is writtenRead MoreComparative Stylistic Analysis of a Poem3580 Words   |  15 Pagestoday. So that the children of the world May live and grow and laugh and play. BRIEF BIOGRAPHY ABOUT THE AUTHORS AND THEIR PIECES George Herbert             George Herbert was born in  Montgomery, Wales, on April 3, 1593, the fifth son of Richard and Magdalen Newport Herbert. After his father s death in 1596, he and his six brothers and three sisters were raised by their mother, patron to  John Donne  who dedicated his  Holy Sonnets  to her. Herbert was educated at  Westminster School  and Trinity