The Complete English PoemsNo poet has been more wilfully contradictory than John Donne, whose works forge unforgettable connections between extremes of passion and mental energy. From satire to tender elegy, from sacred devotion to lust, he conveys an astonishing range of emotions and poetic moods. Constant in his work, however, is an intensity of feeling and expression and complexity of argument that is as evident in religious meditations such as 'Good Friday 1613. Riding Westward' as it is in secular love poems such as 'The Sun Rising' or 'The Flea'. 'The intricacy and subtlety of his imagination are the length and depth of the furrow made by his passion,' wrote Yeats, pinpointing the unique genius of a poet who combined ardour and intellect in equal measure. |
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angels beauty blood body Christ Church Countess Court Cross dead death Divine Donne Donne’s doth early earth edition Elegy eyes face fair faith fall fear fire follow force four friends give gold gone grow hand hast hath heart heaven honour John Donne keep kill kind kings Lady leave less letter light live look Lord lost Love’s lovers means mind mistress move nature never perfection poem poet praise Press Prince printed Pronounced pure reason sense sins Songs Sonnets soul sphere spirit stand stars stay syllables tears tell thee thine things thou thought Title true turn University unto verse versions virtue whole woman write