John Donne Essay, Research Paper

1/01/00

English

John Donne

John Donne was a writer with exceptional talent and had an intense feeling about all that he wrote. In the beginning of his life he was a charming man who , was accepted by royalty because of his personality and writing ability. Having been employed by one of the queen?s highly regarded men , he worked and associated with the high class royalty. Donne?s life and job lead him to meet and eventually marry his employer?s daughter. This couple caused scandal due to the classifications of the two people. Having lost his job because of this and also not being able to obtain steady employment the family lived in poverty for years. Donne held low class secretary jobs and wrote during this time , but lack of financial security kept them where they where in life. He , by writing with the motivation from the love of his wife , became one of the most widely read writers of the time. As time went on Anne passed away and Donne was left with the children. He soon was elected dean of St. Paul?s Cathedral , became a famous speaker , he used the motivation of God and the church to fuel his writing.

Much of Donne?s poetry was written for his wife and was very intense due to the love he felt for her. In "The Canonization" Donne tries to fight why he cannot love Anne and asks what is the matter with his love , for he sees it as true. He writes in a civil manner asking if his love has hurt anyone , if the intensity that he loves her has ever injured anyone. Never fearing what others say or do to the couple he bases the security of his life on their love. He ponders why people are worrying about their love when awful people are committing horrible acts throughout the world. He says that they are one and nothing could break them apart. Not wanting to be bothered anymore and yearning to live free with his love he wonders if people will approve and , though his love will not die , fears that the impact of the world will destroy their bond.

During his years without his wife Donne wrote about the love of the church

and the Lord. Much like the prior years in intensity and feeling , but with a different object of affection. He used his love for God and his temptation from the devil as topics and wrote intense verses about his feelings. In "Holy Sonnet 14" Donne wrote of his love for god , and how grateful he was for the Lord because he was trying to help him become a new person. He knows he will have to work on his life as well , but he knows God will try to rebuild him and take him away from his evil ways. He appears guilty about what he has been doing and seems to want help to get away from the ways of the devil. He feels helpless and wants help to break the bond he has with the evil in his life. He uses a language and tone to show his intense love but burning desire from temptation. By using the metaphysical conceit , "Take me to You , imprison me , for I , / Except You enthrall me , never shall be free" he tries to express his love for God and yearns to be held captive by Him. The words are intense and the devotion is stronger in a way that can only be sincere. He loves God and appreciates all that He does with lines of love and little fear of his Lord.

"The Canonization" and "Holy Sonnet 14" are both intense pieces of literature. They hold the passion and feeling that Donne had himself , but the time without Anne seems to have changed him. The love for Anne made him feel positive about life , it made him not fear anything and to look forward to life. The way that Anne made Donne feel about the world , holds constant in the way the Lord comforts him , but he seems distant in "Holy Sonnet 14" in comparison to the works about his wife. The same security that Donne felt with Anne at his side changed into a feeling of loss. Due to feeling alone because of the empty part of his life , such as his late wife , even the Lords help was not strong enough to have Donne overcome his love. Though he found God to comfort the lack of his wife left a hole in his soul that did not let the same happy , intense emotion flow into his religious work.