Selected Poems

by John Donne

Go and catch a falling star.Get with child a mandrake root. Tell me, where all the past years are. Or who cleft the devil's foot. Teach me to hear mermaids singing.Or to keep off envy's stinging.And findWhat windServes to advance an honest mind.--from "Song (Go and Catch a Falling Star)" From "The Flea," a sly and witty sonnet of seduction, to his celestial and holy "A Hymn to Christ," John Donne's poems capture both love and death, earthly and heavenly passion. Here are his most beautiful songs and sonnets; elegies and epithalamiums (poems in honor of a bride and groom); satires, verse letters, and poems of the Divine--a portrait of Donne's range and magnificence. These more than 65 works include "The Good-Morrow," "Airs and Angels," "A Nocturnal View on St. Lucy's Day," "The Bait," and "Upon the Annunciation and Passion."

Genres: Poetry

128 pages, Hardcover

Published October 15, 1994

About the author

John Donne was an English poet, preacher and a major representative of the metaphysical poets of the period. His works are notable for their realistic and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons. His poetry is noted for its vibrancy of language and inventiveness of metaphor, especially as compared to that of his contemporaries.

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.

Reviews

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The spiritual poems don't thrill me, but some of the love poems blew my mind. I love his elaborate, unusual, and insightful metaphors (or 'metaphysical conceits'): a suitor as a flee, lovers as compasses, a loving look as two souls leaving their bodies and meeting or merging... Finding formal love poems that aren't trite, hokey, or sentimental was a wonderful surprise.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

goode stough

[Ace · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a crawl a few times, though there were quite a few that left me reeling.