ENG202Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: John Donne, Metaphysical Poets, Scientific Method
Document Summary
Not illegal to be a catholic; elizabethan attempt to reconcile religious differences in society, but attending anglican services still mandatory: difficult life in some sense; fewer opportunities. Family members arrested for harboring a jesuit; jesuit religion founded in order to reverse the reformation, therefore treasonous. Studied at oxford and cambridge, but cannot earn a degree due to his religion. Converted to the church of england in the 1590s. Significant questions about the sincerity of this conversion. Gets good work within the gentry, but is disgraced when he elopes with his e(cid:373)ployer"s (cid:374)iece; they have many children until she dies in childbirth. U(cid:374)der ja(cid:373)es i"s persuasio(cid:374), (cid:271)e(cid:272)o(cid:373)es a priest i(cid:374) the a(cid:374)gli(cid:272)a(cid:374) (cid:272)hur(cid:272)h: status and reputation as a literary figure. Recognized as a significant poet as early as the 17th century. 18th century figures like dryden rejected donne, seeing his work as antithetical to their values of reason and rationality.
