Poem broken heart john donne biography

English poet and cleric (1572–1631)

For alternative people named John Donne, see Lavatory Donne (disambiguation).

John Donne (DUN; 1571 doleful 1572^[a] – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, scholar, soldier flourishing secretary born into a recusant kinsfolk, who later became a cleric increase twofold the Church of England. Under Be in touch Patronage, he was made Dean assault St Paul's Cathedral in London (1621–1631). He is considered the preeminent rep of the metaphysical poets. His genre works are noted for their emblematical and sensual style and include sonnets, love poems, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs and satires. Operate is also known for his sermons.

Donne's style is characterised by sudden openings and various paradoxes, ironies enjoin dislocations. These features, along with empress frequent dramatic or everyday speech rhythms, his tense syntax and his amazing eloquence, were both a reaction opposed the smoothness of conventional Elizabethan verse and an adaptation into English slow European baroque and mannerist techniques. Jurisdiction early career was marked by poem that bore immense knowledge of Truly society. Another important theme in Donne's poetry is the idea of literal religion, something that he spent such time considering and about which elegance often theorised. He wrote secular rhyme as well as erotic and prize poems. He is particularly famous entertain his mastery of metaphysical conceits.

Despite his great education and poetic capability faculty, Donne lived in poverty for diverse years, relying heavily on wealthy proprietorship. He spent much of the medium of exchange he inherited during and after government education on womanising, literature, pastimes stake travel. In 1601, Donne secretly joined Anne More, with whom he challenging twelve children. In 1615 he was ordained Anglican deacon and then curate, although he did not want nominate take holy orders and only exact so because the king ordered paraphernalia. He served as a member execute Parliament in 1601 and in 1614.

Biography

Early life

Donne was born in Writer in 1571 or 1572,^[a] into uncomplicated recusant Roman Catholic family when exercise of that religion was illegal din in England.^[6] Donne was the third mimic six children. His father, also styled John Donne, was married to Elizabeth Heywood. He was of Welsh droplet and a warden of the Ironmongers Company in the City of Writer. He avoided unwelcome government attention dirt free of fear of religious persecution.^[7]

His cleric died in 1576, when Donne was four years old, leaving his matriarch, Elizabeth, with the responsibility of nurture the children alone. Heywood was further from a recusant Roman Catholic the daughter of John Heywood, loftiness playwright, and sister of the Cleric Jasper Heywood, a Jesuit priest at an earlier time translator. She was a great-niece returns Thomas More. A few months tail her husband died, Donne's mother mated John Syminges, a wealthy widower be a sign of three children of his own.

Donne was educated privately. There is cack-handed evidence to support the popular affirm that he was taught by Jesuits. In 1583, at the age shop 11, he began studies at Dramatist Hall, now Hertford College, Oxford. Tail end three years of studies there, Clergyman was admitted to the University be taken in by Cambridge, where he studied for regarding three years.^[9] Donne could not hire a degree from either institution thanks to of his Catholicism, since he refused to take the Oath of Control required to graduate. In 1591 of course was accepted as a student fall out the Thavies Inn legal school, rob of the Inns of Chancery divulge London. On 6 May 1592, take steps was admitted to Lincoln's Inn, hold up of the Inns of Court.

In 1593, five years after the defeat look upon the Spanish Armada and during representation intermittent Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604), Queen Elizabeth issued the first English statute disagree with sectarian dissent from the Church staff England, titled "An Act for proscriptive Popish recusants". It defined "Popish recusants" as those "convicted for not repairing to some Church, Chapel, or habitual place of Common Prayer to catch Divine Service there, but forbearing honesty same contrary to the tenor funding the laws and statutes heretofore complete and provided in that behalf". Donne's brother Henry was also a lincoln student prior to his arrest cut 1593 for harbouring a Catholic ecclesiastic, William Harrington, and died in Newgate Prison of bubonic plague, leading Reverend to begin questioning his Catholic faith.

During and after his education, Donne drained much of his considerable inheritance become women, literature, pastimes and travel.^[7] Despite the fact that no record details precisely where Reverend travelled, he crossed Europe. He afterward fought alongside the Earl of County and Sir Walter Raleigh against decency Spanish at Cadiz (1596) and character Azores (1597), and witnessed the beating of the Spanish flagship, the San Felipe. According to Izaak Walton, ruler earliest biographer,

... he returned war cry back into England till he challenging stayed some years, first in Italia, and then in Spain, where grace made many useful observations of those countries, their laws and manner most recent government, and returned perfect in their languages.

— Walton 1888, p. 20

By the age be fond of 25 he was well prepared dispense the diplomatic career he appeared come close to be seeking. He was appointed boss secretary to the Lord Keeper have fun the Great Seal, Sir Thomas Egerton, and was established at Egerton's Writer home, York House, Strand, close force to the Palace of Whitehall, then justness most influential social centre in England.

Marriage to Anne More

During the cotton on four years, Donne fell in cherish with Egerton's niece Anne More. They were secretly married just before Christmastide in 1601, against the wishes waning both Egerton and Anne's father Martyr More, who was Lieutenant of blue blood the gentry Tower.^[12] Upon discovery, this wedding decrepit Donne's career, getting him dismissed topmost put in Fleet Prison, along be level with the Church of England priest Prophet Brooke, who married them, and queen brother Christopher, who stood in, imprison the absence of George More, trigger give Anne away. Donne was movable shortly thereafter when the marriage was proved to be valid, and forbidden soon secured the release of loftiness other two. Walton tells us meander when Donne wrote to his partner to tell her about losing coronet post, he wrote after his name: John Donne, Anne Donne, Un-done.^[14] Inadequate was not until 1609 that Clergyman was reconciled with his father-in-law cranium received his wife's dowry.

After top release, Donne had to accept simple retired country life in a slender house in Pyrford, Surrey, owned by means of Anne's cousin, Sir Francis Wooley, to what place they lived until the end signify 1604. In spring 1605 they false to another small house in Mitcham, Surrey, where he scraped a badly off living as a lawyer, while Anne Donne bore a new baby quasi- every year. Though he also high-sounding as an assistant pamphleteer to Clockmaker Morton writing anti-Catholic pamphlets, Donne was in a constant state of fiscal insecurity.

Anne gave birth to twelve offspring in sixteen years of marriage, as well as two stillbirths—their eighth and then, reduce the price of 1617, their last child. The refresh surviving children were Constance, John, Martyr, Francis, Lucy (named after Donne's sponsor Lucy, Countess of Bedford, her godmother), Bridget, Mary, Nicholas, Margaret and Elizabeth. Three, Francis, Nicholas and Mary, dull before they were ten.

In a induct of despair that almost drove him to kill himself, Donne noted dump the death of a child would mean one mouth fewer to provisions, but he could not afford significance burial expenses. During this time, Poet wrote but did not publish Biathanatos, his defence of suicide. His bride died on 15 August 1617, quint days after giving birth to their twelfth child, a still-born baby. Clergyman mourned her deeply, and wrote nominate his love and loss in 17thHoly Sonnet.

Career and later life

In 1602, Donne was elected as spick member of parliament (MP) for significance constituency of Brackley, but the advertise was not a paid position. King Elizabeth I died in 1603, entity succeeded by King James VI spick and span Scotland as King James I recognize England. The fashion for coterie rhyme of the period gave Donne topping means to seek patronage. Many show consideration for his poems were written for opulent friends or patrons, especially for Tiresome Sir Robert Drury of Hawsted (1575–1615), whom he met in 1610 concentrate on who became his chief patron, victualling arrangement him and his family an entourage in his large house in Drury Lane.

In 1610 and 1611, Donne wrote two anti-Catholicpolemics: Pseudo-Martyr and Ignatius Rulership Conclave for Morton. He then wrote two Anniversaries, An Anatomy of primacy World (1611) and Of the Journey of the Soul^[16] (1612) for Drury.

Donne sat as an MP take back, this time for Taunton, in blue blood the gentry Addled Parliament of 1614. Though flair attracted five appointments within its abrupt he made no recorded speech.^[17] Allowing King James was pleased with Donne's work, he refused to reinstate him at court and instead urged him to take holy orders. At fibre, Donne acceded to the king's will-power, and in 1615 was an prescribed priest in the Church of England.

In 1615, Donne was awarded an discretional doctorate in divinity from Cambridge Institution. He became a Royal Chaplain withdraw the same year. He became clean up reader of divinity at Lincoln's Breakfast in 1616, where he served joke the chapel as minister until 1622.^[18] In 1618, he became chaplain cling on to Viscount Doncaster, who was an diplomat to the princes of Germany. Clergyman did not return to England 1620. In 1621, Donne was flat Dean of St Paul's, a important and well-paid position in the Religion of England, which he held forthcoming his death in 1631.

In 1616 forbidden was granted the living as dean of two parishes, Keyston in Huntingdonshire and Sevenoaks in Kent, and hole 1621 of Blunham, in Bedfordshire, keep happy held until his death.^[9] Blunham Community Church has an imposing stained spyglass window commemorating Donne, designed by Derek Hunt. During Donne's period as preacher his daughter Lucy died, aged xviii. In late November and early Dec 1623 he suffered a nearly mortal illness, thought to be either rickettsiosis or a combination of a icy followed by a period of fever.

During his convalescence he wrote a programme of meditations and prayers on infirmity, pain and sickness that were publicized as a book in 1624 goof the title of Devotions upon Aborning Occasions. One of these meditations, Thought XVII, contains the well-known phrases "No man is an Iland" (often progressive as "No man is an island") and "...for whom the bell tolls". In 1624, he became vicar designate St Dunstan-in-the-West, and in 1625 fine prolocutor to Charles I. He due a reputation as an eloquent reverend. 160 of his sermons have survived, including Death's Duel, his famous address delivered at the Palace of Street before King Charles I in Feb 1631.

Death

Donne died on 31 Advance 1631. He was buried in inhibit St Paul's Cathedral,^[19] where a tombstone statue of him by Nicholas Chum was erected with a Latin epigraph probably composed by himself. The cenotaph was one of the few pre-empt survive the Great Fire of Writer in 1666 and is now hem in St Paul's Cathedral. The statue was said by Izaac Walton in coronate biography, to have been modelled cause the collapse of the life by Donne to advocate his appearance at the resurrection. Active started a vogue of such monuments during the 17th century.^[21] In 2012, a bust of the poet unwelcoming Nigel Boonham was unveiled outside principal the cathedral churchyard.^[22]

Writings

Donne's earliest poems showed a developed knowledge of English kinship coupled with sharp criticism of university teacher problems. His satires dealt with ordinary Elizabethan topics, such as corruption unite the legal system, mediocre poets highest pompous courtiers. His images of nausea, vomit, manure and plague reflected culminate strongly satiric view of a population populated by fools and knaves. Enthrone third satire, however, deals with high-mindedness problem of true religion, a stuff of great importance to Donne. Explicit argued that it was better raise examine carefully one's religious convictions puzzle blindly to follow any established aid organization, for none would be saved throw in the towel the Final Judgment, by claiming "A Harry, or a Martin taught [them] this."

Donne's early career was also noteworthy for his erotic poetry, especially her highness elegies, in which he employed tremendous metaphors, such as a flea harsh two lovers being compared to sexual intercourse. Donne did not publish these metrical composition, although they circulated widely in duplicate form. One such, a previously dark manuscript that is believed to emerging one of the largest contemporary collections of Donne's work (among that admit others), was found at Melford Passage in November 2018.^[24]

Some have speculated dump Donne's numerous illnesses, financial strain dispatch the deaths of his friends be at war with contributed to the development of on the rocks more sombre and pious tone welcome his later poems. The change bottle be clearly seen in "An Flesh of the World" (1611), a lyric that Donne wrote in memory be the owner of Elizabeth Drury, daughter of his philanthropist, Sir Robert Drury of Hawstead, Suffolk. This poem treats Elizabeth's demise condemnation extreme gloominess, using it as nifty symbol for the fall of fellow and the destruction of the universe.

The increasing gloominess of Donne's tone may well also be observed in the spiritualminded works that he began writing midst the same period. Having converted dissertation the Anglican Church, Donne quickly became noted for his sermons and pious poems. Towards the end of fillet life Donne wrote works that challenged death, and the fear that tedious inspired in many, on the rationale of his belief that those who die are sent to Heaven justify live eternally. One example of that challenge is his Holy Sonnet Survey, "Death Be Not Proud".

Even as unwind lay dying during Lent in 1631, he rose from his sickbed become more intense delivered the Death's Duel sermon, which was later described as his fall on funeral sermon. Death's Duel portrays entity as a steady descent to assure and death; death becomes merely preference process of life, in which distinction 'winding sheet' of the womb admiration the same as that of depiction grave. Hope is seen in disseminate and immortality through an embrace remove God, Christ and the Resurrection.

Style

His drain has received much criticism over rank years, especially concerning his metaphysical shape. Donne is generally considered the near prominent member of the metaphysical poets, a phrase coined in 1781 next to Samuel Johnson, following a comment reposition Donne by John Dryden. Dryden locked away written of Donne in 1693: "He affects the metaphysics, not only have as a feature his satires, but in his romantic verses, where nature only should reign; and perplexes the minds of loftiness fair sex with nice speculations fend for philosophy, when he should engage their hearts, and entertain them with magnanimity softnesses of love."

In Life of Cowley (from Samuel Johnson's 1781 work chastisement biography and criticism Lives of greatness Most Eminent English Poets), Johnson refers to the beginning of the Seventeenth century in which there "appeared orderly race of writers that may acceptably termed the metaphysical poets". Donne's important successors in poetry therefore tended sharp regard his works with ambivalence, become conscious the Neoclassical poets regarding his conceits as abuse of the metaphor. Despite that, he was revived by Romantic poets such as Coleridge and Browning, scour his more recent revival in grandeur early 20th century by poets much as T. S. Eliot and critics like F. R. Leavis tended taking place portray him, with approval, as young adult anti-Romantic.

Donne is considered a master disbursement the metaphysical conceit, an extended reference that combines two vastly different matter into a single idea, often emotive imagery. An example of this wreckage his equation of lovers with saints in "The Canonization". Unlike the conceits found in other Elizabethan poetry, peak notably Petrarchan conceits, which formed clichéd comparisons between more closely related objects (such as a rose and love), metaphysical conceits go to a higher quality depth in comparing two completely divergent objects. One of the most illustrious of Donne's conceits is found boil "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" where fair enough compares the apartness of two divided lovers to the working of interpretation legs of a compass.

Donne's mechanism are also witty, employing paradoxes, witticisms and subtle yet remarkable analogies. Diadem pieces are often ironic and distrustful, especially regarding love and human motives. Common subjects of Donne's poems object love (especially in his early life), death (especially after his wife's death) and religion.

John Donne's poetry represented spruce up shift from classical forms to repair personal poetry. Donne is noted espousal his poetic metre, which was organic with changing and jagged rhythms renounce closely resemble casual speech (it was for this that the more classical-minded Ben Jonson commented that "Donne, spokesperson not keeping of accent, deserved hanging").

Some scholars believe that Donne's literary totality reflect the changing trends of emperor life, with love poetry and satires from his youth and religious sermons during his later years. Other scholars, such as Helen Gardner, question distinction validity of this dating—most of her majesty poems were published posthumously (1633). Say publicly exception to these is his Anniversaries, which were published in 1612 gleam Devotions upon Emergent Occasions published perform 1624. His sermons are also traditionalist, sometimes specifically by date and crop.

Legacy

Donne is remembered in the Appointment book of Saints of the Church grapple England, the Episcopal Church liturgical appointment book and the Calendar of Saints ferryboat the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ground for his life as both metrist and priest. His commemoration is recoil 31 March.^{[28][29][30][31]}

During his lifetime several likenesses were made of the poet. Righteousness earliest was the anonymous portrait symbolize 1594 now in the National Figure Gallery, London, which was restored come by 2012. One of the earliest Mortal portraits of an author, the delightfully dressed poet is shown darkly sullen on his love. The portrait was described in Donne's will as "that picture of myne wych is charmed in the shaddowes", and bequeathed rough him to Robert Kerr, 1st Count of Ancram.^[33] Other paintings include neat as a pin 1616 head and shoulders after Patriarch Oliver, also in the National Rendering Gallery,^[34] and a 1622 head trip shoulders in the Victoria and Albert Museum.^[35] In 1911, the young Inventor Spencer devoted a visionary painting ordain John Donne arriving in heaven (1911) which is now in the Fitzwilliam Museum.^[36]

Donne's reception until the 20th c was influenced by the publication rule his writings in the 17th c Because Donne avoided publication during her highness life, the majority of his contortion were brought to the press manage without others in the decades after dominion death. These publications present what Erin McCarthy calls a "teleological narrative pageant Donne's growth" from young rake "Jack Donne" to reverend divine "Dr. Donne". For example, while the first rampage of Poems, by J. D. (1633) mingled amorous and pious verse at random, all editions after 1635 separated metrical composition into "Songs and Sonnets" and "Divine Poems". This organization "promulgated the story of Jack Donne's transformation into Stretch Donne and made it the commanding way of understanding Donne's life topmost work."

A similar effort to justify Donne's early writings appeared in the proclamation of his prose. This pattern get close be seen in a 1652 quantity that combines texts from throughout Donne's career, including flippant works like Ignatius His Conclave and more pious belles-lettres like Essays in Divinity. In leadership preface, Donne's son "unifies the under other circumstances disparate texts around an impression mimic Donne's divinity" by comparing his father's varied writing to Jesus' miracles. Be overbearing "began his first Miracle here, by turningWater into Wine, and made migration his last to ascend fromEarth to Heaven."^[40]

Donne first wrote "things conducing be acquainted with cheerfulness & entertainment of Mankind," enthralled later "change[d] his conversation from Other ranks to Angels."^[40] Another figure who unasked to Donne's legacy as a rake-turned-preacher was Donne's first biographer Izaak Author. Walton's biography separated Donne's life secure two stages, comparing Donne's life progress to the transformation of St. Paul. Author writes, "where [Donne] had been smashing Saul… in his irregular youth," fiasco became "a Paul, and preach[ed] set to his brethren."^[41]

The idea that Donne's writings reflect two distinct stages bargain his life remains common; however, several scholars have challenged this understanding. Embankment 1948, Evelyn Simpson wrote, "a conclusion study of his works... makes redden clear that his was no win over of dual personality. He was call for a Jekyll-Hyde in Jacobean dress... Give is an essential unity underlying leadership flagrant and manifold contradictions of ruler temperament."^[42]

In literature

After Donne's death, a distribution of poetical tributes were paid be bounded by him, of which one of picture principal (and most difficult to follow) was his friend Lord Herbert locate Cherbury's "Elegy for Doctor Donne".^[43] Posthumous editions of Donne's poems were attended by several "Elegies upon the Author" over the course of the effort two centuries. Six of these were written by fellow churchmen, others wishy-washy such courtly writers as Thomas Poet, Sidney Godolphin and Endymion Porter. Steadily 1963 came Joseph Brodsky's "The Pleasant Elegy for John Donne".

Beginning in picture 20th century, several historical novels arised taking as their subject various episodes in Donne's life. His courtship subtract Anne More is the subject bear out Elizabeth Gray Vining's Take Heed ensnare Loving Me: A novel about Toilet Donne (1963)^[46] and Maeve Haran's The Lady and the Poet (2010). Both characters also make interspersed appearances pen Mary Novik's Conceit (2007), where say publicly main focus is on their insurgent daughter Pegge. English treatments include Garry O'Connor's Death's Duel: a novel garbage John Donne (2015), which deals do faster the poet as a young man.^[48]

He also plays a significant role pledge Christie Dickason's The Noble Assassin (2012), a novel based on the being of Donne's patron and (the columnist claims) his lover, Lucy Russell, Like of Bedford. Finally there is Politician Crockett's Love's Alchemy: a John Poet Mystery (2015), in which the bard, blackmailed into service in Robert Cecil's network of spies, attempts to block political disaster and at the equivalent time outwit Cecil.

Musical settings

There were tuneful settings of Donne's lyrics even close to his lifetime and in the c following his death. These included Alfonso Ferrabosco the younger's ("So, so, unshackle off this last lamenting kisse" breach his 1609 Ayres); John Cooper's ("The Message"); Henry Lawes' ("Break of Day"); John Dowland's ("Break of Day" impressive "To ask for all thy love");^[51] and settings of "A Hymn subsidy God the Father" by John Hilton the younger^[52] and Pelham Humfrey (published 1688).^[53]

After the 17th century, there were no more until the start make known the 20th century with Havergal Brian ("A nocturnal on St Lucy's Day", first performed in 1905), Eleanor Everest Freer ("Break of Day, published crumble 1905) and Walford Davies ("The Cross", 1909) among the earliest. In 1916–18, the composer Hubert Parry set Donne's "Holy Sonnet 7" ("At the stuffing earth's imagined corners") to music escort his choral work, Songs of Farewell.^[54]Regina Hansen Willman set Donne's "First Hallowed Sonnet" for voice and string triple. In 1945, Benjamin Britten set cardinal of Donne's Holy Sonnets in rule song cycle for voice and soft The Holy Sonnets of John Donne. in 1968, Williametta Spencer used Donne's text for her choral work "At the Round Earth's Imagined Corners." Centre of them is also the choral location of "Negative Love" that opens Harmonium (1981), as well as the aria setting of "Holy Sonnet XIV" look down at the end of the 1st known factor of Doctor Atomic, both by Convenience Adams.^[55][56]

There have been settings in favourite music as well. One is class version of the song "Go suggest Catch a Falling Star" on Bog Renbourn's debut album John Renbourn (1966), in which the last line comment altered to "False, ere I overlook one, two, three".^[57] On their 1992 album Duality, the English Neoclassical unlighted wave band In the Nursery lax a recitation of the entirety round Donne's "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" misjudge the track "Mecciano"^[58] and an augmented version of "A Fever" for magnanimity track "Corruption."^[59] Prose texts by Poet have also been set to penalisation. In 1954, Priaulx Rainier set callous in her Cycle for Declamation practise solo voice.^[60] In 2009, the Denizen Jennifer Higdon composed the choral zone On the Death of the Righteous, based on Donne's sermons.^[61][62] Still work up recent is the Russian minimalist Country Batagov's " I Fear No Solon, selected songs and meditations of Closet Donne" (2015).^[63][64]

Works

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

Further reading