John Donne and His Poetry

John Donne was an English poet and a contemporary of William Shakespeare. During Donne’s life time, his poetry was highly praised in the small circle of his admirers, but it went out of fashion some decades after his death. For a long time he was seldom read and scarcely appreciated. However, his poetry was rediscovered in the beginning of the 20th century, and he is today considered to be one of the greatest English poets of all time. John Donne's work was varied: he wrote sonnets and love poems, songs and elegies, sermons and religious poetry.

Donne is often said to be the first metaphysical poet in England, and many of his poems dig deep into human consciousness, asking engaging questions that challenge the readers. His poetry is mostly about love (physical and spiritual), about man's relationship with God, and about death and the afterlife.

Donne's style is unique and quite different from previous poets, in clear contrast to the smoothness of conventional Elizabethan poetry. One of the most striking features of his poetry can be seen in his opening lines, which are often abrupt and surprising – they often present a paradox or an ironic statement. In his poems, there is often an extensive use of wit and word-play, and he also uses complex metaphors and imagery that sometimes challenge the readers' understanding of the poem.

Below, you will find two of John Donne's most famous poems. You will find that they are quite different in length, content, and form. In order to better understand the full meaning of the poems, you should read the poems several times.

'No Man Is an Island' is often presented as a poem, but is in fact a section from his book Meditation XVII. In this short passage, he describes how we, as human beings, depend on each other and how we should feel a sense of belonging to the whole of the human race.

Pay attention to how Donne uses figurative language to describe humanity.

You will probably find that 'The Good-Morrow' is a bit more complex than 'No Man Is an Island', both in terms of language and content. But its message is still clear and direct.

This poem is a celebration of the purest kind of love. It describes a lover's thoughts as he wakes up next to his partner and reflects on how their lives have changed since they first met. Until falling in love, he and his beloved had merely been wasting their time. But now, things are different – all they care for is one another’s company, and nothing more. He presents their love as an intense and profound experience and something that will never die.