John Donne
Man of Flesh and Spirit
David L. Edwards(Author)
Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.
Published on 8. May 2005
Book
Paperback/Softback
388 pages
978-0-8264-8624-0 (ISBN)
Description
John Donne is best known as a poet of love, brilliantly able to recreate a man's experience of emotions and realities. But he is also a poet of the spiritual journey. His religious poems speak of shame, fear and self-conscious complexity and doubt, but his sermons can soar into a word-music seldom equalled, or can condense theology into epigrams as witty as those which date from his youthful lusts. He fascinates because he is a man battered by sex - and by God. David Edwards has written an extremely readable book which ranges over all Donne's poetry and prose, and which relates the literature to what is known or probable about the life. He takes twentieth-century research and criticism into careful account but aims to provide more than a detailed examination of a limited part of the subject. He is not sentimental about Donne's faults and limitations, and he does not try to sound superior to either the poet or the preacher. His aim is to achieve a portrait of a living man, a man who both suffered and gloried in his experience of flesh and spirit.
Reviews / Votes
"'An immensely readable book about the poet and churchman, the son of a London merchant whose background was strongly influenced by Catholic recusancy but who, during studies at Oxford and the Inns of Court, was eventually drawn to the Church of England... David Edwards is an experienced and gifted writer... his John Donne... a masterplece could hardly be bettered. And one more accolade: Edwards is never dull but always interesting. And the wonder is that he's not a professional historian.' Yorkshire Post; 'Edwards' picture of what Donne 'really was' is more convincing than most.' The Spectator; 'There is an engaging candour in Edwards' approach of a sort one would seldom find in a professional monograph.' The New Statesman"More details
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Edition type
New edition
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 230 mm
Width: 153 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-8264-8624-0 (9780826486240)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
David Edwards was formerly Fellow of All Soul's, Oxford and Dean of King's College, Cambridge.
Content
Donne's Life: The questions; At the Dore; Winter-seeming; Thou Hast Done; About Donne: Thou hast not done; Deare Honestie; Donne Speaks: Let my body raigne; Batter my heart; Admyring her; The Trumpet