The Poetry of John Donne: A priest who was one of the leading Metaphysic poets and writer of love poems

· Copyright Group · Narrated by Richard Mitchley, Ghizela Rowe, and Gideon Wagner
Audiobook
51 min
Unabridged
Eligible
Ratings and reviews aren’t verified  Learn More
Want a 5 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline. 
Add

About this audiobook

John Donne was born on 22nd January 1572 in London into a Roman Catholic family when Catholicism was illegal in England and there was turbulence and unrest with both state and church throughout much of Europe. His father, also named John, died when he was 4 and his mother, Elizabeth Heywood married a wealthy widower, ensuring the family were looked after. He received a good education in both Oxford and Cambridge but was unable to obtain a degree without taking the Oath of Supremacy, which as a Catholic, he refused to do.

During the 1590's Donne wrote a wide range of verse including both erotic and sacred poems, creating two major volumes of work. His strong, vivacious and sensual style fusing intellect and passion as well as inventive use of subtle argument and syntax provided a new radical perspective that reached beyond his contemporaries and continues to chime and charm poetry lovers throughout the ages.

Difficult to believe that with this enormous talent, Donne, lived in poverty for many years, exacerbated by his secret marriage to Ann More, which meant no dowry, and their having twelve children. Later he served in Parliament and became Dean of St Pauls in 1621, noted for his learned and charismatic sermons.

John Donne died in London on 31st March, 1631 but leaves an enormous legacy of many splendid and influential poems. He was known as the founder of the Metaphysical Poets and is widely regarded as one of Britain's best loved poets.

This volume comes to you from Portable Poetry, a specialized imprint from Deadtree Publishing. Our range is large and growing and covers single poets, themes, and many compilations.

Rate this audiobook

Tell us what you think.

Listening information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.