Jeffrey Johnson, by means of a serious, erudite and documented work, portrays the religious writings of John Donne as texts fruit of a well-founded knowledge of Christian theology, in which the author elaborates, rejects and innovates the discourses of religious dispute of his days. To consider Donne as a full-fledged religious thinker with a personal theological structuring of the Christian creed, is the first pioneering step taken by Donne scholarship to propound a more compelling understanding of his sermons and religious poetry. Johnson's methodology a' la Skinner contextualizes the single thinker in his cultural matrix, and thencewise proceeds to elucidate the ways in which he used and reacted the religious thought of his time. This book, given the heavy theological contents, is useful primarily for Renaissance scholars and students who want to get a feel of the complexity and seriousness of Donne's sermons, localizing them in their context, and perceiving them as answers to the theological problematics of the time.

As you would expect, the Complete Works contains all of Donne's well-known poems. Many of these and several of his lesser known pieces are absolutely brilliant works. But there are reasons why all of Donne's habeas corpus isn't wildly popular, and the Complete Works allows you to find those reasons for yourself. If you really want to study Donne, by all means buy this. If you're looking for old favorites, a book of selections will spare your wallet, shelf, and time.

Was Donne a crude versifier, or a more precise craftsman than the Milton- and Dryden-influenced poets who largely rejected his style? I would argue the crudity was part of his precision. The crudeness I refer to is his frequent use of harsh rhymes and the jarring and uneven rhythms in his meter. Dryden smoothed these out, which is commendable, but later poets, steeped also in Milton's grandeur, had a difficult time getting to the subtle cracks of meaning and music Donne was able to reach in his bumpy, coarse lines. I regard him as the equal of any other English poet, for the exactness and depth of his expression, but I leave it to you to find out why. And there is no better place than this inexpensive hardcover edition in the Everyman's Pocket Poet series. It includes all the important poems-- the love poems, the satires and the epistles-- and a nice selection of prose. As with the rest of the series, we are relieved of any introduction or explanatory notes, which I feel bog down the poetry and distract us from what matters (namely, the poetry). One can then read other books to explain the literary allusions, the historical context, the archaisms and variant spellings and so forth. Part of the joy is simply dwelling in these words, without worries of critical debate and other factors that are the domain of Poetry 101. Simply buy this book, open the cover, and live in the words for the rest of your life (placing the pretty cloth bookmark between the pages when necessary). [Note: I am not referring to the Everyman edition of Donne's complete English poems.]

In my humble opinion, Donne was the greatest of the English poets. The sublime combination of the rhythms of human speech and classic meter, the eroticism of lyric, the passion that stirs within...Donne had no equal when it came to poeticism.

Shakespeare, Shakespeare...you hack! There is a lot owing to this master poet. Let us recognize him; he is more deserving of our adulation.

for this book,devotions upon emergent occasions and deaths duel has already been so good. Wow! what more can i possibly say....alot. firstly, fascinating stuff. it was really great and jesus Christ we love him, John Donne? WOW?!! what do you think? read it really it is very nicely proportionate for me the dimensions where spectacular and also a very nice size, John Donne? Where in the world is John Donne when we need him now....bye John Donne?

I must admit that I bought this book solely for the most famous of Donne's Meditations - Nunc lento sonitu dicunt, morieris, AKA "no man is an island". I was unaware of the circumstances which surrounded Donne's writing of the Meditations. He had taken ill with a strong and high fever, and believed that he was dying. The meditations trace his spiritual journey through his illness, starting with the beginning (The first alteration, the first grudging, or the sickness), through attempts to treat him (The physician is sent for), to treatments (They apply pigeons, to draw the vapors from the head - yuck!), until he comes to terms spiritually with his fate (From the bells of the church adjoining, I am daily remembered of my burial in the funerals of others).

These meditations make a fascinating contrast with the other work by Donne in this book: Death's Duel. This was the last sermon that Donne ever preached, one month before he died. Not only did he know that the end was near, but so did his audience, who called it "the doctor's funeral sermon". It is interesting to see how Donne's view of death had changed in the years between the two works. By the time Death's Duel was written, Donne's mother, wife, and six of his twelve children were already dead.

In spite of the fact that Donne wrote over three hundred years ago, I am still influenced by his writings. Although I am not Christian, I agree with many of Donne's thoughts on how people interact with each other, and how we effect the lives of others, though we might not realise it. "Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind." Donne, though dead, is still involved in mankind, and this book aptly displays it.

First published in 1624, this series of meditations on illness were published following John Donne's sickness during late November and early December of 1623 (when he either had typhus or relapsing fever). Each of his ruminations are recorded in groups of three: meditation, expostulation, and prayer. Donne's insights about the "variable, therefore miserable condition of man" will always be pertinent as long as humans continue to fall prey to disease. The reading is a little slow at times, but there are some fine pieces in this book, including his famous meditation XVII, "No man is an island", that Hemingway quoted when he wrote FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS. Even if you don't read all of the essays, this book is worth obtaining just to pore over meditation XVII.

This set of tapes is a good way to begin a study of John Donne, or if already a fan, to be cradled by his words read aloud by melliflous English voices. There is a good biographical sketch interlaced with some of Donne's most famous works, giving the listener the historical background and influences behind some of the world's best poetry.

John Donne was truly a poetic master. Preeminent among the metaphysical poets, his talent shines brightly in both his early secular and later religious poetry. This volume is particularly useful in its helps with the texts and its discussion and analysis of the meaning and impact of his work. I find these aids useful indeed with a more "difficult" poet like Donne. This book is a good starting place for the study of John Donne's poetry.

Author Donne Florence has done an excellent job of over viewing John Steinbeck's life and contribution to American literature. Although this book is listed for juvenile readers it is a very solid introduction to Steinbeck for all ages. The author has done their homework. The information is current and accurate. Many of the common errors I see in published information on Steinbeck are missing here. This author got it right! The author avoided the rumors and searched out truth. This 128 page book has a easy to read font, and while not the indepth study that we see in Jackson Benson's "The True Adventures of John Steinbeck, Writer", it covers the basics. Helpful listings are given at the end of the book - not only chapter notes, but some Internet Addresses, further reading suggestions, chronology and lists of Steinbeck's works. My retirement profession is Steinbeck, I lecture, give tours, and help researchers. I recommend this books for new and knowledgeable Steinbeck readers.

This is a collection of some of the best poems written by Donne...ifyou can appreciate poetry and are willing understand then you enjoythis.

This collection is a travesty indeed. Great poems no doubt, but abysmally read. Furthermore they should have put all the introductions together separate and apart from the poems. It's nice to hear intros the first time around. But who wants to hear the intros everytime you listen to the poems? Sometimes I want to hear just a stream of poetry without any interuptions and this format makes that impossible. It's incredible that such a great concept could be so terribly executed.

I could not get this back to the store for a refund quickly enough. While the poem selection is great and the poem introductions are narrated well, the choice to use "modern poets" as the readers made this compilation utterly unlistenable. The only one that I found acceptable was Anthony Hect--the others were notably bad. In particular, I found Jorie Graham's "readings" to be abysmal. She reads each poem as if it were simply a string of unconnected words, giving equal stress to each, with halting pauses between them, never breaking out of a drowsy monotone. Other readers were not much better.

There are three major flaws in the readings:

1) The readers are no better than the average untrained person, and often much worse. (You've just got to hear them for yourself to appreciate how bad they are.)

2) Successive poems by the same poet are read by different "readers." It's jarring to hear 3 or 4 poems from Poet X, each in a wildly different voice.

3) No regard is given to matching the sex of the poet and reader. In general, it is really annoying to hear your favorite poet read by the wrong sex. In particular, making this mistake on "gender specific" poems (like having a woman read Poe's "Annabel Lee") is unforgivable.

Why is this all so upsetting? Because it is practically impossible to find poetry collections on CD, making this a serious waste of limited resources. If you are looking for a good collection on CD, buy "81 Famous Poems CD" by Audio Partners (ISBN 0-945353-82-0). It's a good collection on two CDs and is read by professionals: Alexander Scourby, Bramwell Fletcher, and Nancy Wickwire. In the meantime, we can only hope that the producers of this collection will eventually come to their senses and re-record the poems with the services of trained professionals.

If you are prepping for the GRE in literature or are trying to gain a basic understanding of literary periods and poets, this audio-collection is a must. It features a brief introduction about each poet's life. It also includes a brief introduction about the theme of each poem. The fact that you have to listen to these introductions before listening to the poem inculcate the poem and aids retention. If literature has turned into a cumbersome and overwhelming task, this collection will not only provide you with a sense of direction but will also make literature far more pleasurable.

I am afraid that I must agree with this book's other reviewer. I, too, was delighted to see this title, and chose it to be my daily meditation reading for Lent. After only three days, however, I am determined to exchange it at the church bookstore for a title that is more fitting the solemnity and introspection of the season.

It is simply mond-boggling that someone, particularly an Anglican scholar or priest, feels called to edit Donne in the way. One of the glories of the Anglican tradition is an acute sensitivity to ritual, language, and the spiritual life of the intellectual, and unfortunately, this book seems to respect none of these. It's such a disappointment. Who better to read on the 40 days of Lent than John Donne? I will still do so, but on my own, in the original, glorious language.

When I spotted this title, I was delighted. The idea seemed excellent, nay, inspired. Upon receiving and reviewing it, however, I was dismayed to find that, while the excerpts have been judiciously selected, they have also been subjected to an editorial process which deprives Donne of much of his rhetorical force. For instance, Donne's quotations from the Bible are replaced with those of a modern translation, both his language and syntax are modified to conform to modern American practice, and his prose further altered to reflect gender inclusivity. Is it really necessary to change every "thee" to a "you" in order to make these writings accessible? Isn't it hubris in the highest degree to re-write the "Holy Sonnets" or the "Hymn to God the Father"? This edition may be fine for those who like their Donne strained to the consistency of baby food. Others should be forewarned that this isn't Donne, but Donne as translated into contemporary Anglican liturgy-speak. Deeply disappointing.