John Donne
Context:
Early life: Born and raised Catholic (Queen Elizabeth's reign). Father died when Donne was
young, mother remarried twice. Went to Oxford at 12 years old - did not receive a degree
because he was Catholic.
Politics, government and kingship: "Divine Right of Kings" and the Elizabethan idea that the
natural order of the universe depended on a hierarchical order headed by the King.
Alchemy, science and astronomy: Alchemy - an early medieval science that involved the
discovery of the "philosophers' stone" by which base metals could be transmuted into gold (a
quest often equated in literature with trickery as in Ben Jonson's play "The Alchemist").
There was a shift towards scientific endeavour and a human search for knowledge about the
world. Galileo - Earth revolves around the sun.
Donne and Religion: Decision to renounce his Catholic faith and adopt Anglicanism has
often been viewed as an act of expediency to safeguard his position and life. Related to Sir
Thomas More who had been martyred for his Catholic faith. Change of religion - Donne
never really recovered, in spiritual terms, from his betrayal of what he must unconsciously
have considered the "true religion". Donne was born a Catholic and became a priest in the
Church of England. 1610, he published 'Pseudo-Martyr' - an attack upon Catholic
unwillingness to take an oath imposed by King James I in 1607.
Religious conflict: 1532 = Henry VIII Supreme Head of the Church in England. The reign of
Edward VI saw the publication of The Prayer Book in English and although under the
Catholic Queen Mary Catholicism was restored, the process of reformation continued in the
reign of Elizabeth I.
Sin and Salvation: Sin is always against God and so the one who sins is alienated, or
separated from God. Original sin = Fall of man (Adam and Eve) everyone inherits the mark
or stain of sin as part of her or his own human nature. Salvation is often viewed by Donne in
what is an eschatological or apocalyptic perspective. ('Eschatology' means the end of the
world and 'apocalyptic' means revelation). He views judgement in a heightened way.
Visitor of Ladies: Very explicit love poetry - casual sex life with multiple women (his courting
of and marriage to Ann More.) Religious poetry - A man who has turned from the pleasures
of carnal love to the love of God.
War: Spanish Armada in 1588. There was a sense that high born or ambitious young men
ought to take an interest in military pursuits.
Petrach and Ovid: Donne's poems both use and reject notions of love fostered by
Petrarchan love poetry. In Petrarchan poetry, the mistress is chaste and remote and the
male lover is constant in his devotion, often dying of unrequited love for a distant and aloof
mistress. Ovidian = The Roman poet Ovid's collection of poems called 'Amores' influenced
, Donne, particularly in his Elegies, and convey a world of Roman immorality and sexual
freedom translated to Elizabethan London.
Death: 54 Songs and Sonnets, 32 of them have some reference to death - Elizabethan era
obsessed with death.
Money and Capitalism: Theorists see the Elizabethan age as the first real age of capitalism
after the rigid hierarchical structures of medieval time.
Money became the basis on which society was run rather than simply rank and status.
Poetry Summaries:
Air and Angels - Page 6
Extended metaphor comparing his love to angels. Focuses on a more metaphysical
relationship rather than physical. Donne idolises his love. Elizabethan concept: to be seen by
humans, angels must be seen through one of 4 elements. Air is the purest element. Angels
'of the air' represent the various elements, but angels of the air are the purest
- pure love
- spirituality
- sexuality
Compare with: The Flea
"lovely glorious" - hyperbolic adjectives
'body', 'lip, eye and brow' - concrete nouns - triplet. Love must take a physical form - physical
and idealised love
'love must not be', 'women's love and men's love will never be' - relational verb -
metaphysical language
"so in a voice, in a shapeless flame" - spiritual connotations - fire element through which
angels show themselves. Experiences through her voice.
idealised love, fantasy
"worshipped be" - pure ideal love that's worthy of worship/praise
"lovely glorious nothing" - an oxymoron - contradicts each other
perfect idealised love has nothing to deposit itself
'I did see, I saw' - viewing the angel, connotations of 'looking'
"fix itself in thy lip, eye and brow" - physical verb - spiritual love/connection is 'fixed' in her
body
The Anniversary - Page 7
Anniversary of their love
Context:
Early life: Born and raised Catholic (Queen Elizabeth's reign). Father died when Donne was
young, mother remarried twice. Went to Oxford at 12 years old - did not receive a degree
because he was Catholic.
Politics, government and kingship: "Divine Right of Kings" and the Elizabethan idea that the
natural order of the universe depended on a hierarchical order headed by the King.
Alchemy, science and astronomy: Alchemy - an early medieval science that involved the
discovery of the "philosophers' stone" by which base metals could be transmuted into gold (a
quest often equated in literature with trickery as in Ben Jonson's play "The Alchemist").
There was a shift towards scientific endeavour and a human search for knowledge about the
world. Galileo - Earth revolves around the sun.
Donne and Religion: Decision to renounce his Catholic faith and adopt Anglicanism has
often been viewed as an act of expediency to safeguard his position and life. Related to Sir
Thomas More who had been martyred for his Catholic faith. Change of religion - Donne
never really recovered, in spiritual terms, from his betrayal of what he must unconsciously
have considered the "true religion". Donne was born a Catholic and became a priest in the
Church of England. 1610, he published 'Pseudo-Martyr' - an attack upon Catholic
unwillingness to take an oath imposed by King James I in 1607.
Religious conflict: 1532 = Henry VIII Supreme Head of the Church in England. The reign of
Edward VI saw the publication of The Prayer Book in English and although under the
Catholic Queen Mary Catholicism was restored, the process of reformation continued in the
reign of Elizabeth I.
Sin and Salvation: Sin is always against God and so the one who sins is alienated, or
separated from God. Original sin = Fall of man (Adam and Eve) everyone inherits the mark
or stain of sin as part of her or his own human nature. Salvation is often viewed by Donne in
what is an eschatological or apocalyptic perspective. ('Eschatology' means the end of the
world and 'apocalyptic' means revelation). He views judgement in a heightened way.
Visitor of Ladies: Very explicit love poetry - casual sex life with multiple women (his courting
of and marriage to Ann More.) Religious poetry - A man who has turned from the pleasures
of carnal love to the love of God.
War: Spanish Armada in 1588. There was a sense that high born or ambitious young men
ought to take an interest in military pursuits.
Petrach and Ovid: Donne's poems both use and reject notions of love fostered by
Petrarchan love poetry. In Petrarchan poetry, the mistress is chaste and remote and the
male lover is constant in his devotion, often dying of unrequited love for a distant and aloof
mistress. Ovidian = The Roman poet Ovid's collection of poems called 'Amores' influenced
, Donne, particularly in his Elegies, and convey a world of Roman immorality and sexual
freedom translated to Elizabethan London.
Death: 54 Songs and Sonnets, 32 of them have some reference to death - Elizabethan era
obsessed with death.
Money and Capitalism: Theorists see the Elizabethan age as the first real age of capitalism
after the rigid hierarchical structures of medieval time.
Money became the basis on which society was run rather than simply rank and status.
Poetry Summaries:
Air and Angels - Page 6
Extended metaphor comparing his love to angels. Focuses on a more metaphysical
relationship rather than physical. Donne idolises his love. Elizabethan concept: to be seen by
humans, angels must be seen through one of 4 elements. Air is the purest element. Angels
'of the air' represent the various elements, but angels of the air are the purest
- pure love
- spirituality
- sexuality
Compare with: The Flea
"lovely glorious" - hyperbolic adjectives
'body', 'lip, eye and brow' - concrete nouns - triplet. Love must take a physical form - physical
and idealised love
'love must not be', 'women's love and men's love will never be' - relational verb -
metaphysical language
"so in a voice, in a shapeless flame" - spiritual connotations - fire element through which
angels show themselves. Experiences through her voice.
idealised love, fantasy
"worshipped be" - pure ideal love that's worthy of worship/praise
"lovely glorious nothing" - an oxymoron - contradicts each other
perfect idealised love has nothing to deposit itself
'I did see, I saw' - viewing the angel, connotations of 'looking'
"fix itself in thy lip, eye and brow" - physical verb - spiritual love/connection is 'fixed' in her
body
The Anniversary - Page 7
Anniversary of their love
