On the Road with Penguin Classics

John Donne's poetry with Katherine Rundell

Jan 18, 2024

In this engaging discussion, Katherine Rundell, a scholar and children's author celebrated for her biography of John Donne, dives into the poet's complex life and work. Rundell explores the emotional depth of Donne's poetry, focusing on love, loss, and mortality. She shares personal anecdotes about her early encounters with his writing and examines how his tumultuous marriage influenced his artistry. The conversation also highlights the duality of Donne's life—his transformation from a rebellious poet to the esteemed Dean of St Paul's Cathedral.

01:19:35

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Episode guests

Katherine Rundell

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Quick takeaways

Katherine Rundell explores John Donne's tumultuous early life as a Catholic, which deeply influenced his poetic themes and creative perspective.

Donne's innovative use of metaphors and imagery set him apart from his contemporaries, challenging traditional poetic conventions and expressing complex emotional dualities.

As Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, Donne's compelling sermons merged emotional engagement with profound existential themes, cementing his influence as a spiritual leader.

Deep dives

Introduction to John Donne's Life

John Donne, born into a Catholic family in 1572, faced significant hardships early in life, including the death of his father when he was just four years old. His upbringing instilled a constant sense of fear due to the persecution of Catholics in England, which shaped his perspective and creativity. Educated at Oxford and Cambridge, he emerged as a brilliant scholar, eventually becoming a lawyer and privateer. His diverse experiences, coupled with his exceptional poetic talent, positioned him as a prominent figure in English literature during the early 17th century.

Intro

2min

The Wit and Legacy of John Donne

20min

Exploring John Donne: Poetry, Passion, and Personal Struggles

19min

The Duality of John Donne: Between Youth and Maturity

2min

Exploring the Passionate Themes in John Donne's Poetry

2min

The Life and Legacy of John Donne

9min

The Legacy of John Donne: Love, Loss, and Literary Transformation

17min

Exploring the Atmosphere of St. Paul's Cathedral Through Time

2min

The Mortality of John Donne

8min

10.

The Impact of John Donne's Poetry

3min

John Donne’s poetry and prose in London. The scholar and children’s author Katherine Rundell traces the life and paradoxical career of John Donne from the street where he was born, through the palaces and colleges where he worked to the cathedral where he preached and now lies buried.

In 2022 Rundell won the Baillie-Gifford Prize for her biography of Donne, Super-Infinite.

Donne's prose masterpiece Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions was published 400 years ago in January 1624.

Donne’s Selected Poems (Penguin Classics edition)

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/33860/selected-poems-donne-by-john-donne-ed-professor-ilona-bell-series-editor--christopher-ricks/9780140424409

https://apple.co/48S5406

Donne’s Selected Prose (Penguin Classics edition)

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/34100/selected-prose-by-donne-john/9780141396712

https://apple.co/47NE1m1

Naxos audiobook edition of Donne’s poetry, read by Geoffrey Whitehead and Will Keen

https://naxosaudiobooks.com/john-donne-selections/

https://apple.co/3vHDpk8

Katherine Rundell