News at Eleven: Like many of us, he thought

too much about everything.

It was always the complaint against John Donne's love poetry, during the centuries that his work was neglected--Dr Johnson complained that he "perplexes the minds of the fair sex with nice speculations of philosophy". Yet, for most of us now, he is often one of the most physical and sensual of love poets--he had to wait to find his readership. As a young rake, he mocks the women he seduces for falling for his charm--he is not always likable in the early songs and sonnets, but he tells us things we need to know about lust and its often tawdry fulfilment.

from The Guardian: John Donne, priest and poet, part 1: love, conscience and martyrdom
then The Guardian: John Donne, priest and poet, part 2: theologian who played with poetic form
then The Guardian: John Donne, priest and poet, part 3: loss and grieving

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