Tuesday, March 31, 2009

John Donne: 1572--March 31, 1631

John Donne's birth date, aside from the year, is unknown, so I thought that I would post this on the anniversary of his death. If more people would follow his philosophy, I think the world would be a more peaceful place.


No man is an iland, intire of it selfe;
Every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine;
If a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse,
As well as if a Promontorie were,
As well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were;
Any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde;
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
- Donne -
Devotions upon Emergent Occasion
Meditation XVII

10 comments:

  1. One of the few poets I remember from my school days (We read "The Canonization," and Donne wrote with a passion that ought to attract more than just he young among us.)

    This portrait of Donne was on exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery the last time I was in London. He was rather dashing for a poet, I’d say.
    ==============
    Detectives Beyond Borders
    “Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home”
    http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

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  2. Peter,

    Thanks for the link. I gather from what I've read of him that he was quite the courtier, a very dashing young man about the court. This all changed, apparently, when he took Holy Orders and entered the priesthood.

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  3. And he inspires crime writers even today. Dave White’s first novel is When One Man Dies, and his protagonist is Jackson Donne.
    ==============
    Detectives Beyond Borders
    “Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home”
    http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

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  4. Jackson Doone and _When One Man Dies_? Chuckle...

    Dave White? I haven't heard of him. New writer?

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  5. Hi is new, not yet thirty and with two novels under his belt. (The second is called The Evil That Men Do.)
    ==============
    Detectives Beyond Borders
    "Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
    http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

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  6. "The Evil That Men Do"?


    He seems to have a thing for the Elizabethans.

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  7. You might not be shocked to learn that he’s an English teacher when not writing crime novels. He does not teach John Donne to his eighth graders, though.
    ==============
    Detectives Beyond Borders
    “Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home”
    http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

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  8. "You might not be shocked to learn that he’s an English teacher when not writing crime novels. He does not teach John Donne to his eighth graders, though."

    An English teacher! What a surprise!

    I tried John Donne once on a group of college freshmen--waste of time, unfortunately.

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  9. I wonder if Donne is better suited to rebellious high schoolers and ruminative adults.
    ==============
    Detectives Beyond Borders
    "Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
    http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  10. Peter,

    I don't know. Frankly I doubt if either "rebellious high schoolers" or "ruminative adults" would be interested in Donne. The quote I posted is probably the most popular of all that he has written and mostly likely will remain so. A shame too.

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