This collection of the love poems and devotional poems of John Donne with an introduction by Dana Gioia offers a provocative perspective on Eros and eternity. People have always had trouble relating our spiritual and physical longings. Our bodies often seem more a barrier than a means to our spiritual aspirations. Few people have explored this wrestling between the physical and spiritual better than John Donne, the seventeenth-century poet who poured into a few short words an intensity of feeling and depth of insight that have inspired readers for centuries.
Despite his great education and poetic talents, he lived in poverty for several years, relying heavily on wealthy friends. In 1615 he became an Anglican priest and, in 1621, was appointed the Dean of St Paul's Cathedral in London.... Show more