Most Popular Books by John Donne

This authoritative edition was formerly published in the acclaimed Oxford Authors series under the general editorship of Frank Kermode. It brings together a unique combination of Donne''s poetry and prose - all the major poems, complemented by rarely published letters and extracts from Donne''ssermons - to give the essence of his work and thinking. John Donne (1572-1631) is today celebrated as one of the greatest of the metaphysical poets, whose verse was daringly original and whose use of imagery and conceits marked a new, intellectual approach to poetry. His Satires, Elegies, and Songs and Sonnets, which contain his most famous love poems,were complemented by his religious writing, both verse and prose. He was one of the most renowned preachers of his day, and this volume does equal justice to the full range of his work. In addition to nearly all his English poetry this volume includes over 130 extracts from Donne''s sermons, aswell as the full text of his last sermon, ''Death''s Duel''. A distinguishing feature of the selection is that the works are arranged in the chronological order of their composition.

Regarded by many as the greatest of the Metaphysical poets, John Donne (1572-1631) was also among the most intriguing figures of the Elizabethan age. 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.

There may be no finer edition of Donne''s Songs and Sonets than Redpath''s annotated volume. Out of print for a decade, it is reprinted here in its second, revised edition. The book''s twofold origin is evident on every page of commentary: it arises partly from a life of scholarship and partly from Redpath''s experiences as a teacher.

This selection of John Donne''s most powerful prose shows that the man remembered predominantly for his poetry was also a preacher, and a prose writer of extraordinary power. In it, he explores the metaphysical collision between poetry and religion, suicide and duty, the secular and the spiritual that characterized his times. Edited with an introduction and notes by Neil Rhodes.

"Based on an exhaustive study of the manuscript and print history of Donne''s poetry, this edition presents newly edited critical texts of the poems and a comprehensive digest of the critical-scholarly commentary on them from Donne''s time forward. Textual introductions briefly locate the poems in the context of Donne''s life or poetic development, outline the 17th-century textual history of the poems, and sketch the treatment of the text by modern editors. A detailed textual apparatus presents variants collated from many sources and traces the lines of textual transmission"--Provided by publisher.

This classic edition of Donne''s Divine Poems contains an extensive and invaluable critical apparatus by Helen Gardner.

This Modern Library edition contains all of John Donne''s great metaphysical love poetry. Here are such well-known songs and sonnets as "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," "The Extasie," and "A Nocturnall Upon S. Lucies Day," along with the love elegies "Jealosie," "His Parting From Her," and "To His Mistris Going to Bed." Presented as well are Donne''s satires, epigrams, verse letters, and holy sonnets, along with his most ambitious and important poems, the Anniversaries. In addition, there is a generous sampling of Donne''s prose, including many of his private letters; Ignatius His Conclave, a satiric onslaught on the Jesuits; excerpts from Biathanatos, his celebrated defense of suicide; and his most famous sermons, concluding with the final "Death''s Duell." "We have only to read [Donne]," wrote Virginia Woolf, "to submit to the sound of that passionate and penetrating voice, and his figure rises again across the waste of the years more erect, more imperious, more inscrutable than any of his time."

This volume of John Donne''s writings begins with a biography of John Donne''s life, as told by Donne''s writer friend, Izaak Walton. Walton gives readers a close look at Donne''s past, which was plagued with the loss of many close family members. This biographical information helps readers to make better sense of the somber devotions contained in this volume. In his Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, Donne concentrates on the miserable condition of man and the inevitability of death. The devotions are all structured the same, each beginning with a meditation followed by an expostulation and a prayer. These devotions serve as a preview for Donne''s "Death''s Duel Sermon," written near his death in 1631 as his funeral sermon. While "Death''s Duel" paints a grave picture of earthly life tormented by pain and death, it hopes for a bright future in God''s love through Christ''s resurrection and ascension. -Emmalon Davis, CCEL Staff Writer

Reprint of the original, first published in 1839.

In addition to the writer''s 1624 collection of meditations, debates with God, and prayers on the human condition-particularly earthly physical sickness and health-this volume contains the 1631 work "Death''s Duel," a sermon said to be his own funeral oration, which he preached shortly before his own death. Readers of 17th-century literature, religious devotionals, and ponderers of human mortality are sure to find something profound in this fascinating, famous work. British metaphysical poet JOHN DONNE (1572-1631), renowned for his satires on English society, wrote this prose work in the latter part of his life, after he became an Anglican priest.

In "The Greatest Poems of John Donne," readers are invited into the profound and intricate world of metaphysical poetry, where complex themes of love, death, faith, and the nature of existence intertwine. Donne''s unique literary style combines rich imagery with intellectual rigor, employing conceits that elevate ordinary experiences into profound explorations of the human condition. The collection reflects the historical context of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, engaging with the ongoing tensions between emerging scientific thought and traditional religious beliefs, thus offering a window into the philosophical engagements of the period. John Donne (1572-1631) is one of the foremost poets of the English Renaissance, heralded for his innovative blend of lyricism and intellectuality. His life experiences, from his tumultuous youth to his eventual ordination as a priest, deeply influenced his work, imbuing it with a sense of urgency and introspection. Donne''s exploration of personal and societal conflicts resonates profoundly with readers, inviting them to consider the weighty existential questions raised in his poetry. This anthology serves not only as a testament to Donne''s literary genius but also as an essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of human emotion and spirituality. For scholars, students, and lovers of literature alike, "The Greatest Poems of John Donne" is a vital addition to any bookshelf, guaranteeing a transformative literary experience.