John Donne ( DUN; 22 January 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet and cleric in the Church of England.
He is considered the pre-eminent representative of the metaphysical poets.
His works are noted for their strong, sensual style and include sonnets, love poems, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons.
His poetry is noted for its vibrancy of language and inventiveness of metaphor, especially compared to that of his contemporaries.
Donne's style is characterised by abrupt openings and various paradoxes, ironies and dislocations.
These features, along with his frequent dramatic or everyday speech rhythms, his tense syntax and his tough eloquence, were both a reaction against the smoothness of conventional Elizabethan poetry and an adaptation into English of European baroque and mannerist techniques.
His early career was marked by poetry that bore immense knowledge of English society and he met that knowledge with sharp criticism.
Another important theme in Donne's poetry is the idea of true religion, something that he spent much time considering and about which he often theorized.
He wrote secular poems as well as erotic and love poems.
He is particularly famous for his mastery of metaphysical conceits.
Despite his great education and poetic talents, Donne lived in poverty for several years, relying heavily on wealthy friends.
He spent much of the money he inherited during and after his education on womanising, literature, pastimes, and travel.
In 1601, Donne secretly married Anne More, with whom he had twelve children.
In 1615 he was ordained deacon and then Anglican priest, although he did not want to take Holy Orders and only did so because the king ordered it.
In 1621, he was appointed the Dean of St Paul's Cathedral in London.
He also served as a member of Parliament in 1601 and in 1614.
one or more third parties have made copyright claims against Wikimedia Commons in relation to the work from which this is sourced or a purely mechanical reproduction thereof. This may be due to recognition of the "sweat of the brow" doctrine, allowing works to be eligible for protection through skill and labour, and not purely by originality as is the case in the United States (where this website is hosted). These claims may or may not be valid in all jurisdictions.
As such, use of this image in the jurisdiction of the claimant or other countries may be regarded as copyright infringement. Please see Commons:When to use the PD-Art tag for more information.