John Donne (1572-1631) is today celebrated as one of the greatest of the metaphysical poets, whose verse was daringly original and whose use of imagery and conceits marked a new, intellectual approach to poetry. His Satires, Elegies, and Songs and Sonnets, which contain his most famous love poems, were complemented by his religious writing, both verse and prose. He was one of the most renowned preachers of his day, and this volume does equal justice to the full range of his work. In addition to nearly all his English poetry this volume includes over 130 extracts from Donne’s sermons, as well as the full text of his last sermon, ‘Death’s Duel’. In this Oxford World’s Classics audio guide, John Carey, former Merton Professor of English at Oxford and editor of Donne’s Major Works and Selected Poetry in the World’s Classics series, introduces the man, his times and his writing. Simply click on the links below to listen to the guide: 1. John Donne was born into a famous Catholic family. Unlike some earlier critics, John …