Donne

The works of ...

... JOHN DONNE

*Publication details of The Indifferent* :**	Published in 1633, in the volume, Poems.
Other literary works include:	Divine Poems (1607). An Anatomy of the World (1611). Holy Sonnets (1618).

A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

Born:

1572, in London, England.

Early years:

Donne was born in to a prosperous Roman Catholic family, at a time when anti-Catholic sentiment was rife in England. Donne's father died suddenly in 1576 and left the three children to be raised by their mother.

Schooling:

Donne's first teachers were Jesuits. At the age of 11, Donne and his younger brother, Henry, were entered at Hart Hall, University of Oxford. He studied there for three years and spent the next few years at the University of Cambridge. He took no degree at either university because he could not take the Oath of Supremacy required at the graduation. He was admitted to study law as a member of Thavies Inn (1591), and Lincoln's Inn (1592).

Career:

In 1596, Donne joined the naval expedition to the Azores, where he wrote The Calm. Upon his return to England in 1598, he was appointed secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, ( Lord Ellesmere). He sat in Queen Elizabeth's last Parliament, for Brackley. In 1601, Donne secretly married the niece of Lady Egerton and thereby ruined his hopes to progress. Egerton dismissed him from his post, and so for the next tweleve years the poet had to struggle to support his family. Donne made a meagre living as a lawyer, serving chiefly as counsel for Thomas Morton, an anti-Catholic pamphleteer. He became a priest of the Anglican church in 1615 and was appointed royal chaplain later that year.

Final years:

Donne continued to write poetry, notably Holy Sonnets (1618), but most of it remained unpublished until 1633. In 1621, James I appointed him Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral; he held that post until his death. While convalescing from a severe illness, Donne wrote Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions (1623-1624), a prose work in which he treated the themes of death and human relationships. It is almost certain that Donne would have become a bishop in 1630, but for his poor health.

Died:

31st March, 1631, London, England.

Born:	1572, in London, England.
Early years:	Donne was born in to a prosperous Roman Catholic family, at a time when anti-Catholic sentiment was rife in England. Donne's father died suddenly in 1576 and left the three children to be raised by their mother.
Schooling:	Donne's first teachers were Jesuits. At the age of 11, Donne and his younger brother, Henry, were entered at Hart Hall, University of Oxford. He studied there for three years and spent the next few years at the University of Cambridge. He took no degree at either university because he could not take the Oath of Supremacy required at the graduation. He was admitted to study law as a member of Thavies Inn (1591), and Lincoln's Inn (1592).
Career:	In 1596, Donne joined the naval expedition to the Azores, where he wrote The Calm. Upon his return to England in 1598, he was appointed secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, ( Lord Ellesmere). He sat in Queen Elizabeth's last Parliament, for Brackley. In 1601, Donne secretly married the niece of Lady Egerton and thereby ruined his hopes to progress. Egerton dismissed him from his post, and so for the next tweleve years the poet had to struggle to support his family. Donne made a meagre living as a lawyer, serving chiefly as counsel for Thomas Morton, an anti-Catholic pamphleteer. He became a priest of the Anglican church in 1615 and was appointed royal chaplain later that year.
Final years:	Donne continued to write poetry, notably Holy Sonnets (1618), but most of it remained unpublished until 1633. In 1621, James I appointed him Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral; he held that post until his death. While convalescing from a severe illness, Donne wrote Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions (1623-1624), a prose work in which he treated the themes of death and human relationships. It is almost certain that Donne would have become a bishop in 1630, but for his poor health.
Died:	31st March, 1631, London, England.