This authoritative edition was formerly published in the acclaimed Oxford Authors series under the general editorship
of Frank Kermode. It brings together a unique combination of Donne's poetry and prose - all the major poems, complemented
by rarely published letters and extracts from Donne's sermons - to give the essence of his work and thinking.
John Donne (1572-1631) is today celebrated as one of the greatest of the metaphysical poets, whose verse was daringly
original and whose use of imagery and conceits marked a new, intellectual approach to poetry. His Satires, Elegies,
and Songs and Sonnets, which contain his most famous love poems, were complemented by his religious writing, both
verse and prose. He was one of the most renowned preachers of his day, and this volume does equal justice to the
full range of his work. In addition to nearly all his English poetry this volume includes over 130 extracts from
Donne's sermons, as well as the full text of his last sermon, 'Death's Duel'. A distinguishing feature of the selection
is that the works are arranged in the chronological order of their composition.
