The Complete Poetry and Selected Prose of John Donne

As the years go by, and my range of knowledge grows, I find myself being drawn back again and again to John Donne. Unlike one of the previous reviewers, I do share his religion and even practice a more modern version of his denomination. Still there is something more there. As far as comparing Donne with Eliot, although I think Eliot was a great poet, there is more depth of feeling in Donne's work. However, one must consider that Eliot put his wife away (literally) when she became an embarassment because her mental problems. Since these turned out to be hormonally driven, this betrayal is all the more tragic. Donne, on the other hand, after years of carousing, found his soul mate and his one true love and continued to be devoted to her years after she died. As great as this love was, his writings show that, although he was afraid to trust the promises made by his God, he loved him even more. Now, that is devotion and that is the root of wonderful and beautiful thoughts he put to paper.

Although I care less about his prose, John Donne wrote some very impressive and intuitive so-called love poetry, as well as religious poems that I like. A master of metaphor, he also shows great range of emotions, insight, and passion. My favorite work is his "divine poems" and his "songs and sonnets". Some really beautiful use of language and wise "deep" sentiments. The elegies also have some wonderful lines. David Rehakauthor of "Poems From My Bleeding Heart"

This volume is a wonderful selection of Donne's prose, and is especially useful for the various sermons included. John Donne is a brilliant poet whose skillful use of language and understanding of the paradoxes of Christianity are a delight. To have the entire range of his poetry, pre- and post-conversion, is very useful.A great reference tool for the student of literature, and a good read (Oxford English dictionary readily accessible, of course).

Metaphysical poets were not all randy adolescents, but beneath the sensuous seduction of Donne's love poetry can be felt the endearing ingenuity of a cad. Combined with the powerful sincerity of his religious poems and divine meditations, the wit and intensity of a sensitive and naked poet become vivid. Donne wrote to be read by friends and this intimacy is apparent - there is a strong sense of being enclosed in the same room as the poet in a rare meditation. Donne is important both in igniting religous poetry and as a precursor to poets such as T S Eliot, but more importantly he is one of the greatest individual poets in the language. His 'unclassical' roughness which threatened him with obscurity now speaks clearly of his profound force of feeling blazing into thought. This book would be enriching for anyone who loves poetry, religion, love or pretty much anything else.

John Donne is said to have been one of the greatest, if not THE greatest romantic poets in history... This book chronicles Donne's writing and the changes his writing underwent as the writer himself was changed from a womanizing play boy into a converted man of God...