1572–1631

Introduction

Born: Jan­ua­ry 22, 1572, Bread Street, Lon­don, Eng­land.

Died: March 31, 1631, Lon­don, Eng­land.

Buried: St. Paul’s Ca­thed­ral, Lon­don, Eng­land.

portrait

Biography

Educated at Hart Hall (now Hert­ford Col­lege), Ox­ford, and the Uni­ver­si­ty of Cam­bridge, Donne was one of the best known Ja­co­be­an poets.

Raised a Ro­man Ca­tho­lic, he moved to the Ang­li­can church at age 19. He act­ed for some time as Sec­re­ta­ry to Lord Chan­cel­lor El­les­mere.

At the de­sire of King James, he took Ho­ly Or­ders, and in 1617 be­came preach­er at Lin­coln’s Inn.

In 1621, he be­came Dean of St. Paul’s, and soon af­ter­ward vic­ar of St. Dun­stan-in-the-West.

Sources

Lyrics