Biography of John Donne

Today, we will discuss the biography of John Donne. John Donne is an important figure in English literature. He was born in the year 1572. The exact date is not known. He was born in London, England. In 1572, England was ruled by a queen named Elizabeth 1. This time was called the Elizabethan era. When Donne was only four years old, his father died. This happened in 1576. Losing a parent at such a young age was very hard. After his father’s death, his mother took care of him. She married another man named John Syminges. John Syminges was a doctor. Donne’s new stepfather was kind and helped the family. Donne had brothers and sisters too. He was the third of six children. Some of his siblings died when they were young. It is evident from Biography of John Donne that he started to write poems while he was in London. Donne wrote many kinds of poems. At this time, he wrote poems about love and friendship. These poems were not very serious. They were playful and funny. He shared these poems with his friends. They liked his writing. But he did not publish these poems. While working for Sir Thomas Egerton, John Donne fell in love with a girl named Anne More. Anne More was Sir Thomas Egerton’s niece. Anne was only sixteen years old when they met. Donne was thirty years old. Donne and Anne loved each other very much. But there was a problem. Anne’s father did not want them to marry. Her father was named Sir George More. He was a rich and powerful man. He wanted Anne to marry someone else. Someone with more money and a better family. Despite this, Donne and Anne decided to marry in secret. Biography of John Donne reveals that he continued to write during this time. He wrote more serious poems. These poems were about love, religion, and death. He also wrote letters to his friends. These letters were often about his struggles. Donne’s life was full of struggles. He did not have enough money. He worried about his family. But he kept writing. His writing became deeper and more thoughtful. The biography of John Donne includes his working as a priest for the rest of his life. He became very respected. In 1621, he became the Dean of Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Donne worked there until he died. He gave many sermons at Saint Paul’s. People came from far away to hear him speak. Donne’s wife, Anne, died in 1617. She was only thirty-three years old. She died after giving birth to their twelfth child. The child did not survive either. This was a very sad time for Donne. He loved Anne very much. After her death, he became more serious about religion. He wrote many poems about grief. He also took care of his children alone. Donne died on March 31, 1631 at the age of fifty-nine. He was buried at Saint Paul’s Cathedral. His statue is still in Saint Paul’s Cathedral today. It reminds people of Donne and his work. Now let us talk about why Donne is important in literature. Donne is called a metaphysical poet. Let me explain what this means. Metaphysical comes from two words: “meta,” which means beyond, and “physical,” which means things you can touch or see. So, metaphysical means beyond the physical world. Metaphysical poets wrote about big ideas like love, God, and the soul. They used clever ideas in their poems. For example, Donne compared two lovers to a compass in one of his poems. He said the two lovers were like the two legs of a compass. They were connected even when apart. This kind of clever idea is called a conceit. A conceit is a comparison that is unusual but makes you think. Donne’s poems are divided into different types. First, there are his love poems. These are called “Songs and Sonnets”. They are about love between a man and a woman. Some are happy, some are sad. Second, there are his religious poems. These are about his faith in God. Third, there are his satires. A satire is a poem that makes fun of people or society to bring reformation. Donne wrote satires to point out problems in the world. Fourth, there are his elegies. An elegy is a poem about sadness or death. Donne wrote elegies about people who died.