DonnePPT.ppt.ppt

John Donne * Life John Donne (1572 - 1631), the founder of the metaphysical school of poetry and the greatest representative of the metaphysical poets, was born of a family with a strong Roman Catholic tradition. He was educated at the Trinity College, Cambridge. * As a young man hungry for adventures, he went with Essex on the expedition to Cadiz in 1596 and later became secretary to Lord Keeper Egerton. In 1601 he eloped with the niece of Lord Keeper and was imprisoned by the girls father. For several years after his release, he lived in poverty. But during this time he wrote some of his most beautiful poems, many of which were believed to have been written to his wife. These were known as his youthful love lyrics. Life * So Much Death and Poverty… Married in 1601, had 12 children (incl. 2 stillborns) Three more children died before age 10 His wife died in 1617; he never remarried ○ Rare for this time In a state of despair, Donne noted that the death of a child would mean one less mouth to feed, but he could not afford the burial expenses In 1615 he gave up Catholic faith and entered the Anglican Church and soon became Dean of Saint Pauls Church. As the most famous preacher during the time, he wrote many religious sermons and poems. And these were known as his sacred verses. John Donne’s House Life * The Background of John Donne’s Age Politics John Donne‘s life1572-1631spanned across two dynasties- House of Tudor and House of Stuart. The Tudors extended their power beyond England, achieving the full union of England in 1542.The Tudor line failed in 1603 with the death of Elizabeth I. Then James I inherited the throne?and began the house of Stuart, which publicized the ideas of “divine right of kings”and launched absolute feudal reign, which greatly hindered the development of capitalism Religion The Protestant Reformation (1517–1648) was the European Christian reform movement that established Protestantism as a constituent branch of contemporary Chri