One Equall Light: An Anthology of the Writings of John Donne

John Donne's enormous legacy to English literature is of equal significance in prose and poetry, in writings both religious and secular. Most people, however, have only been exposed to Donne's poetry; his prose remains largely unknown. "One Equall Light fills this lacuna by gathering together nearly one thousand extracts from Donne's sermons, letters, and other prose works.Previously accessible only in hard-to-find scholarly books, these writings by Donne are important not only for their internal beauty and wisdom but also for the insight they provide into the man himself. In his prose Donne often speaks with a frankness and passion not seen in his poetry. Indeed, the twin themes running throughout this collection of writings are humanity and divinity. Readers will find here a deeply spiritual figure whose character is nevertheless both complex and contradictory -- a creative yet restless character that many see as the wellspring of Donne's great literary genius.

The selection of texts is preceded by three important introductory essays by editor John Moses. The first sheds fresh light on Donne's life and explores his continuing relevance to readers today. The second highlights distinctive characteristics of Donne as poet, as propagandist, and as preacher. The third examines in depth Donne's final years as dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.