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There is perhaps no superior edition of Donne’s Songs and Sonets than Theodore Redpath’s wonderful annotated volume. Out of print for a decade, the book is reprinted here in its second, revised edition. The book’s twofold origin is evident on every page of Redpath’s limpid commentary: it arises partly out of a life of scholarship and partly from Redpath’s experiences and concerns as a teacher. The volume contains notes “on every point likely to cause difficulty to a reader of average intelligence.”

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"No man is an island" and "For whom the bell tolls" are just two of the phrases from John Donne's poetry which are known to virtually everyone. John Donne (1572-1631) is considered the best of the metaphysical poets and one of the greatest writers of love poetry ever. This volume is a fully comprehensive annotated edition of Donne's poetry and a landmark volume in literature publishing.

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Donne's depth and passion(Hardcover edition)
This lovely volume beautifully designed on creamy white paper brings to the reader the love poems of John Donne (1572-1631). A comprehensive and sympathetic introduction by the editor Charles Fowkes accompanies it. Mr. Fowkes sets out to explain the background of Donne's poetry and the influence thereof on his own life.But anyone who intends to read Donne should be well prepared. Although his use of language is colloquial, it's riddled with allusions. Donne certainly had a vivid and intense imagination. Further I think that familiarity with authors from the sixteenth or seventeenth centurieswould be an asset.

Expect no cozy love poetry here. Donne's attitude is defiant and aggressive. He certainly knew all of the stages and emotions of love ranging from rapture to deep despair. The young Donne's disrespect for women and his intense sexuality might perhaps put some readers off. Though the courtshipand marriage to Anne More (in 1601) would bring a change. In terms of class Anne was by far Donne's superior, and her father forbade the marriage. Yet Donne had deeply fallen in love, and put his career on the line to marry Anne secretly. It cut him down in arrogance. Anne died in 1617, worn out by her yearly pregnancies (Donne had quite an appetite).

The reader can track the courtship and marriage of Anne and John Donne throughout the poems. But often Donne will address an imaginary lady. As Mr. Fowkes indicates the background of his poetry is difficult to pinpoint. And add to this the fact which we should also not forget, that Donne was a Catholic who converted to the Anglican Church and felt guilty about it.

A complicated man harbouring many selves and souls. Even though I may not agree with Donne's aggressive ways in several poems, he expresses himself with such an intensity and passion (that I cannot avoid him), which makes up for some of the most compelling and brilliant poetry ever written in the English language.

Excellent combination of writer and voice.
The voice of Richard Burton reciting John Donne is a magical combination.Burton has the flair that captures the feeling and intensity of this poet.Donne, known for his writing ability, his technique is known as conciet, can be dense to read.Burton opens up the words and the meanings with his rich voice and perfect inflection.

Whether you are timid about poetry or love John Donne, this is the point of no return. ... Read more

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John Donne (1572-1631) was an English Jacobean poet, preacher and a major representative of the metaphysical poets of the period. His works are notable for their realistic and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons. His poetry is noted for its vibrancy of language and inventiveness of metaphor, especially as compared to those of his contemporaries. It suggests a healthy appetite for life and its pleasures, while also expressing deep emotion. He did this through the use of conceits, wit and intellect - as seen in the poems The Sunne Rising and Batter My Heart. Some scholars believe that Donne's literary works reflect the changing trends of his life, with love poetry and satires from his youth and religious sermons during his later years. Despite his great education and poetic talents he lived in poverty for several years, relying heavily on wealthy friends. In 1615 he became an Anglican priest and, in 1621, was appointed the Dean of St Paul's Cathedral in London. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An extensively annotated edition for the general reader.
THE SONGS AND SONETS [sic] OF JOHN DONNE.Edited by Theodore Redpath. 156 pp.London : Methuen, 1976 (1956) and Reissued.

Donne is a difficult poet, and one of the main objects of this edition of the 'Songs and Sonets' (not 'Sonnets' because we are here given the original spelling) is to try to clarify any and all points where the meaning would not be perfectly clear to a reader of reasonable intelligence.

The text is a modern recension, based largely on the text of Grierson's 1912 edition of Donne's 'Poetical Works,' and makes use of variants recorded in that edition and in manuscript material which has since come to light.

Redpath's notes are full, detailed, and extensive, and in addition offer full commentaries on every poem.He tells us that his aim was to create "an edition for the general reader, which would bring these remarkable poems to readers both in England and abroad, neither merely as a sometimes exasperatingly obscure plain text, nor as part of a bulky specialist volume or series of volumes" (p.vii).

The poems are preceeded by an interesting 35-page Introduction, and the book is rounded out with a series of Appendices, a SelectBibliography, and an Index of First Lines.At just 156-pages it's a slim book and pleasant to handle, and it's also quite easy touse as most notes run alongside the text on facing pages.

In a book of this nature the editor's problem is always that of trying to strike a balance between giving the reader too much help or too little.Although Redpath may have given some readers a bit more help than they need, on the whole he seems to have struck anice balance, and most readers will probably find most of his notesand commentary to be both helpful and illuminating.

So for those who have discovered the beauty of Donne's poems, but who may be still scratching their head over their many difficulties and obscurities, the present book will go a good way towards resolving most problems. It will enable anyone to read these poems with far greater understanding and appreciation of their nuances, and hence with far greater enjoyment.

Redpath's is an excellent edition, and strongly recommended. ... Read more

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"The Ultimate Collection" is proud to present the best stories, novels, poetry and narratives of the most famous authors. All editions have been thoroughly reworked with interactive table-of-contents for easy access to the various parts of the book and have been optimized for Kindle. This edition includes the following writings:

Contents:

Songs and Sonnets
Elegies
Epithalamions or Marriage Songs
Epigrams
Satires
The Progress of the Soul
Verse Letters
Epicedes and Obsequies
The Anniversaries
Divine Poems

... Read more

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Oxford Scholarly Classics is a new series that makes available again great academic works from the archives of Oxford University Press. Reissued in uniform series design, the reissues will enable libraries, scholars, and students to gain fresh access to some of the finest scholarship of the last century. ... Read more

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John Donne's poems are some of the most challenging and stimulating in the English literary heritage. One of the Renaissance's most human voices, his reputation as a poet has grown steadily since his death in 1631, fueled by poets like Coleridge, Browning, and T.S. Eliot. This book looks at the entire range of his poetic output, from the erotic to the divine, from satires to sonnets. Through detailed analysis of a large number of individual poems, most reproduced complete, Donne's intellectual vitality and unique poetic voice is entertainingly explored. ... Read more

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In this 1975 text, Dr Sanders approaches John Donne, beginnings with his arresting voice; individual and often puzzling. He asks of the live poetry and religious poetry alike, where is Donne speaking his own voice, when is he adopting a persona, what is the effect of his irony? And, he goes on, what affects us as true and fine when is Donne the prey of his own manner and self-irony; when is he conventionally amorous, cynical or pious? From this consideration Dr Sanders returns with a central body of poems which he considers great and unique. Many readers of Donne ask themselves uncomfortably whether their admiration is merely fashionable, or their dissatisfaction merely a reaction against fashion. Dr Sanders's calm examination proceeds from a disinterested wish to to find what is admirable, but not to lose sight of common-sense judgements exemplified in the past by Johnson. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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This is a complete facsimile edition of fourteen autograph letters of John Donne that are among the greatest treasures of the Folger Library. The letters, dating from February and March 1602, relate to Donne's clandestine marriage to Anne More and are addressed to his father-in-law, Sir George More, and to Sir Thomas Egerton, the lord keeper, who was also Donne's employer.

The text of a letter provides one part of the story, while its very tangibility -- the ancient folds, the grime and fingerprints deposited by the writer, deliverer, and readers, the broken seals, the ink blots, the idosyncratic spelling, the location of a signature -- tells another. An understanding of a letter's written and unwritten social signals brings into focus a fuller, grittier, and a clearer view of life in 17th century England. ... Read more

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Sixteen new essays, written by an international array of leading scholars and critics, cover Donne's poetry (erotic, satirical, devotional) and his prose (including his Sermons and occasional letters).Providing studies of his text as well as setting them in the historical and cultural context of early modern England, this Companion's up-to-date scholarship introduces students to current issues of debate, and gives them a means to better understand and appreciate John Donne's literary achievements. ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more