The Poems of John Donne, Volume 1

by John Donne

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Pages: 566

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About this book

A sheet of paper receives instructions from its writer before carrying his verse to a woman he admires. In this poem, John Donne imagines the page gaining new life from her touch, then wonders how she might receive other writers' work. The conceit turns an ordinary act of correspondence into an argument about affection, favour and the wish to be read.

Published in 1912, this volume presents Donne's poems with textual notes, appendixes and an index of opening lines. Herbert J. C. Grierson explains that teaching difficult passages prompted him to compare early printed editions with manuscript copies. The notes track changes in words and punctuation, making the editor's choices visible beside the verse. Readers interested in early modern poetry can study both Donne's elaborate comparisons and the evidence used to establish what he wrote.

About the author

John Donne

John Donne (1572–1631) was an English poet and preacher, the leading figure of the metaphysical school, known for love lyrics and religious verse packed with startling conceits and hard argument.