Search Results for 'John Donne'

In late November 1623, John Donne, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, fell ill, probably of typhus, or ‘spotted fever’, as it was called in his day. He was in his early fifties, a widower since the death of his beloved wife Anne in 1617, and the father of four daughters and a son, who carried his father’s name.

Physicists tell us everything that exists can be traced to a supposed single point of infinite density, called a singularity, that exploded some 14 billion years ago, and has been expanding ever since, giving rise to both space and time, ants and elephants, galaxies and hummingbirds, and, of course, you and me.

Of the group of 17th century poets, including John Donne and Andrew Marvel, to which Dr Johnson gave the name ‘metaphysical’, George Herbert is probably nowadays the least read.

In an age of remarkable men and women, Ben Jonson (1572-1637) stood out. Not only was he friend and rival of Shakespeare, he was also a brilliant poet and playwright. He was also wayward, obstinate, bad-tempered, and only survived the gallows after killing a man in a duel by proving he could read and write. Thereafter he bore on his right thumb a branded 'T', for Tyburn, so that if caught next time, he would hang.