Publisher Description
John Donne, Andrew Marvell, George Herbert, Thomas Carew, and Henry Vaughan: these were some of the 17th-century writers who devised a new form of poetry full of wit, intellect and grace, which we now call Metaphysical poetry. They wrote about their deepest religious feelings and their carnal pleasures in a way that was radically new and challenging to their readers. Their work was largely misunderstood or ignored for two centuries, until 20th-century critics rediscovered it, finding in it a deep originality and a willingness to experiment that made much conventional poetry look merely decorative. This collection provides the perfect introduction to this diverse group of fascinating poets.
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About John Donne
John Donne (1572-1631) was an English poet, satirist,
philosopher, and chaplain who is considered a founder of the Metaphysical Poets,
a group of writers characterized by their ability to coax new perspective
through paradoxical images, inventive syntax, and imagery from art, philosophy,
and religion using an extended metaphor known as a conceit. Donne’s works are
notable for their realistic and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry,
religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires, and
sermons. He is firmly established as one of the greatest poets in the English
language, strongly influencing writers of the seventeenth century. He died in
1631 and was buried at St. Paul’s Cathedral.