Short biography of john donne

Short biography of john donne

1. St Xavier’s College, Mahuadanr
Short Biography of John Donne
John Donne was born into a Roman Catholic family on the 22
nd
of January in 1572 in
London, United Kingdom. His parents were John Donne, a wealthy merchant, and Elizabeth
Heywood. His father died in 1576 when he was only four, leaving, and his mother remarried
with a surgeon, Dr. John Syminges.
As John belonged to a religious family, he was educated privately during his early
years. In 1583, he entered Oxford University. There, he studied for three years and left
without graduation because of his Catholic beliefs. According to him, the Oath of
Supremacy to the protestant Queen Elizabeth was against his beliefs and it was required for
the completion of the degree. Later, in 1591, he got admission in Thavies Inn, Legal School
in London to pursue his education and at Lincoln’s Inn from 1592-94. During and after his
education, he spent much of his precious time on literature, travel, and pastime. In 1615, he
was awarded an honorary doctorate from Cambridge University.
John successfully established his diplomatic career by the age of 25. He was
appointed the secretary to the Lord Keeper of the Seal, Sir Thomas Egerton. However, he
married secretly Anne More the niece of Sir Thomas Egerton in 1601. Since the marriage
was against her father’s will he did not receive any dowry and was sent to prison for a short
period. The couple had twelve children in sixteen years of marriage. He became the
Member of Parliament later. The death of his wife and three children left him in a state of
acute pain and despair and drove him into committing suicide.
He fell ill in 1624 and after facing many tragedies of life; he died on the 31
st
of
March 1631 and was buried in old St Paul’s Cathedral.
Writing Career:
• John Donne was an English poet who is most well known because of his association to
the concept of ‘Metaphysical Poetry’. He was also a cleric in the Church of England.
• His fame lies entirely on his significance in the field of metaphysical poetry.
• His poems have followed basically two themes- love and god.

2. • During the 1590s, he spent much of his inheritance on women, books and travel. He
wrote most of his love lyrics and erotic poems during this time.
• After the death of his wife he devoted his energies to more religious subjects.
• Despite expressing his ideas, emotions, and feelings in his work so well, he did not put
any effort into publishing his work because he never wanted to earn through his words.
• Therefore, during his lifetime, his poetry circulated in manuscripts among the circle of
friends.
• However, his writings faded away after his death until the 20
th
century when some
writers applauded his highly intellectual pieces.
• His literary qualities and unique way of expression helped shape the opinion of the poets
and writers of the 20
th
century.
His Style:
• Despite facing challenges and grave losses in life, Donne added more variety to the
world of literature with his mature intellectual ideas.
• Because of his interest in love, religion and morals and inventive use of form and
intellectual prowess, he is often known as the father of the metaphysical poets.
• After his death, he was termed a pioneer of the metaphysical school of thought. His style
is the most typical example of metaphysical poetry.
• His poetry is marked by subtlety (delicacy) and complexity of thought, excessive use of
paradoxes, distorted imagery, and bold conceits.
• He is famous for using harsh tone and rigid expression in his writings.
• Particular use of Wit and Conceit; employment of unique metaphors and similes; are all
visible in his poems.
• His poetic style is also marked by abrupt openings.
• He is known for making poetry personal unlike the trends in classical poetry.
• His poetic meter is such that his diction resembles casual language a lot.
• His language was, more or less, a reaction to the smoothness of Elizabethan poetry.
• The persistent themes in most of his poems stand religion, fidelity, the
interconnectedness of humanity, death, separation, and self-love.
• His financial, social, religious and psychological struggles are believed to have
contributed significantly in intensifying the seriousness in his literary works.

3. • His preferences for poetic subjects are also believed to have followed the changing
situations of his life.
His Best Works:
Donne’s works are inclusive of love poems, religious poems, sonnets, epigrams,
elegies, songs and satires. His Latin translations and sermons are also well known. His
earliest poems are full of criticism of English society. His early career is also known for his
erotic poems. However, his later poetry is far more solemn in tone.
Best Poems:
Some of the best poems he has written include:
• “Go and Catch a Falling Star”,
• “The Good Morrow”,
• “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning”,
• “The Canonization”,
• “For Whom the Bell Tolls”,
• “Death Be Not Proud”
• “The Sunne Rising” and
• “Hymn to God the Father.”
Letters:
Some of his famous letters include:
• “To Mr. Christopher: The Storm”,
• “To Mr. Christopher: The Calm”,
• “To Sir Henry Wotton”,
• “To Mr. Samuel Becket.”
• In 1610, John Donne published his anti-Catholic polemic “Pseudo-Martyr,”
renouncing his faith.
• During a period of severe illness, he wrote “Devotions upon Emergent Occasions,”
published in 1624.

4. He promoted the concept of self-love in most of his poems. His works influence us to
love others unconditionally, no matter how difficult they turn out. It is due to these qualities
he had a powerful influence over many poets and writers such as Robert Browning, T.S
Eliot, and W.B Yeats.
He successfully presented his ideas in his writings that even today; writers try to imitate
his unique style, considering him a beacon for writing prose and poetry.