John Donne - Historical Background Summary
Summary of information found in the Norton Anthology of English Literature , 4ed. John Donne was born in 1572 to a Catholic family. Catholicism was opposed and so he abandoned his faith in order to be able to gain acceptance. He wasn't affluent and so tried to make a livelihood based on his wit. He came to sit in Elizabeth's last parliament but ruined his chances by marrying the daughter of a prominent man. Afterward he struggled to make a living by various jobs. Donne had refused to take Anglican orders, but when King James declared Donne could be employed by no one but the church, Donne had to take up the position of an Anglican preacher. He was excellent and inspiring. His poetry is defiant of that of his predecessors as well as his contemporaries. He never utilized imagery as simply as others did, instead of exploring more complex philosophical meanings of imagery. He wrote colloquially but strikingly. He died in 1631. During his life, he was known for his religi...