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John Donne: The Reformed Soul: A Biography

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The complex life of a former rake, politico, and then dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. And, above all, a master of the written word. The author of this biography writes in a lively style that does credit to his subject.

I do not usually think "Afterwords" are justified. In this case, this device provides for a nicely done close, with its linkage between Dr. Donne and our age's great physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer. (Dr. Donne's words still speak to our largely unchanged human condition.)

By a young scholar, John Stubbs. This is an excellent first book.

Biography can be so tedious and boring but I think we have entered into an age of the Biography as art form. And I feel the Donne by Stubbs is a fresh example of the new biographers who are grounded not only in the material but also in writing skillfully enough to keep the reader entranced. When I think John Donne I think Milton and Spencer and I think of boring school days and relentless English courses. Stubbs does us a great service in bringing Donne back to life. Some found this book repetitive but I feel the repetitiveness serves the purpose well here as it weaves a tapestry of a rich life fully lived. And given the difficulty of the topic reminds the reader of previous territory covered. Stubbs should win some awards for this sterling bio. If this be his first let this not be his last!

I have long had a bit of a fascination with John Donne. A poet and eventual clergyman who lived from 1572-1631, Donne's poems are among my favorites. His Holy Sonnets have given me much cause to think and his early works, so often sexual and vulgar, have shown a man who underwent a clear and profound transformation in his life. From writing poetry which described forbidden and clandestine affairs that involved bribing servants, hushing siblings, and sneaking past parents in order to consummate love, Donne progressed to poetry celebrating Christ and his triumph over death.

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those, whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
...
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And Death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

Donne was born into an English Roman Catholic family at a time when belonging to the Roman church could and often did carry grave consequences. Though his father died while Donne was only a young boy, he still received a good education and soon learned of his ability to mold language. He also learned of his ability as a lawyer and a statesman and soon converted to the Anglican Church in order to enhance his career prospects. Proudly profligate, Donne spent his youth and early adulthood attempting to satisfy every lust of his flesh. Yet in an age where marriages were strictly arranged by fathers to further their own ends, Donne secretly married for love and was to suffer the consequences of such an uncouth arrangement for the rest of his life. After trying unsuccessfully to rise through the ranks in government service, he eventually became a priest and spent much of his career as Dean of St Paul's Cathedral in London. Though a number of his sermons and works of prose has survived, Donne is known today as being one of the greatest English poets. He is remembered in common phrases he coined such as "no man is an island," and "know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

John Donne: The Reformed Soul is a new account of Donne's life by John Stubbs, a young scholar from England. It relies equally upon previous biographies and the record of Donne's life as it is found in his prose and poetry. In a biography of a poet, we depend a great deal on the ability of the author to interpret the poetry. If he misinterprets the man's writing, he misinterprets his life, and especially so when so much of Donne's poetry, and his early poetry in particular, was autobiographical. On the whole, though I am largely unqualified to make such judgments, I felt that Stubbs was accurate in his interpretations and presented Donne as he appears in his works. Where I had a little bit less confidence was in the author's understanding of Donne's theology. Donne lived in a time of great political and ecclesiastical complexity, a time when religion and politics were hopelessly intertwined. Thus it can be difficult to separate what Donne truly believed from his studies of Scripture and what he almost had to believe in order to maintain his position. And, of course, in a book of this sort we get only a small glimpse into Donne's theology through his surviving sermons. The sermons and poetry combine to provide a glimpse into an odd, uneven faith that seemed to yearn for much of the Catholicism Donne had left behind and also yearned for God to be someone other than who He reveals Himself to be. Whether Donne truly knew and loved the God of the Bible is difficult to know and certainly not ours to judge. Reading his works, though, presents enough confusion and slightly unorthodox theology that it becomes quickly apparent why Donne is known as a poet and not as a great Christian or theologian.

This biography is a long read and certainly not always an easy one. It turns often (and obviously) to seventeenth century language and this can take time and effort to unravel. Yet the book is clearly well-written and is a rewarding read, even if it can be complex. In the early stages the book is really quite sensual as Stubbs moves through Donne's years as a philanderer, a man who enjoyed the thrill of the chase but who quickly tired of the women he caught and who subsequently moved on to others. He occasionally employs harsh language in giving the sense of the words Donne and other poets used in their poetry. The latter portions aptly describe Donne's life in the context of the fascinating period in which he lived out the last years of his life.

John Donne: The Reformed Soul is not the kind of biography that would likely be written by a Christian or published by a Christian publisher, even if does deal with a Christian figure. Yet it is an interesting biography and a good one that has been well-reviewed by many notable publications. It is well worth reading for anyone who has an interest in the great poet John Donne.

Each human being has at different stages of life, and in different social settings alternate personalities and selves- raising then the question of how all this diversity be one person only.
If this is true for Everyman how much more so for one so brilliant diverse contradictory and paradoxical in mind as the passionate metaphysical poet preacher lover soldier Anglican divine John Donne- who at his life's outset was faithful Catholic and and in his final years High Anglican Church preacher- who was in his youth swashbuckling philandering soldier with the Earl of Essex in Cadiz and later on country husband exiled with his young wife and condemned to scribbling verses for a living- who at one point seemed to be climbing the greasy career pole only to throw it all away for love of the fifteen year old girl Ann More who would become the mother of his twelve children five of whom would die in their early years and who would herself die before the age of thirty leaving him alone and nowhere until he at last submitted to his friends' injunctions took Holy Orders and became the Dean of St. Pauls and in the last years of his life one of the leading figures of England a preacher of incredible attractiveness and power whose sermons are themselves great works of art.
Stubbs masterfully guides the reader through the long intricate and often surprising career of the master metaphysical poet who in violent conjunction linked diverse worlds together. He argues that Donne was a courageous and principled figure one who met the many challenges of life in a memorable and largely humane way. Stubbs sees Donne as a figure of ironic compassion, of intricate humor of vast intelligence.
He does not spend his time on close reading the poems but instead focuses on the fantastic life of one of England's greatest literary figures.

I'm using "difficult" as a euphemism, but I'm not certain, in Donne's case, what it's a euphemism for. Did the indiscretions of this youth make him an earnest clergyman, or a sycophant? Was his conversion (no ordinary conversion) and later oratorical attitude sincere or was it based on guilt or the necessity of making a living? The poems that live after him reflect a life he all but renounced at the time of his death.

Stubb's research yields only lame excuses for Donne's irresponsibility to his family. Ann, whom his poems extol, at 16 years old, gave up everything for him and bore him 10 (12?) children before her death at age 33. He would leave her for travels, be unfaithful (or so the evidence points) and despite his very public professions of love, prefer a burial apart.

Marriage and post marriage negotiations for daughter Constance are insulting to her just as not leaving his papers to John Jr. were insulting to his son. Rejecting support when it finally came from his father in law shows more personal pride than concern for the well being of his family. What became of other children is not clear, and not a topic of interest to Donne who leaves no written record expressing concern.

The book presents larger issues than the character of Donne: religious persecution, the politics of religion, the rigidity of society, the lure of the new world, the effects of the autocracy of the monarch, the politics of the clergy, the societal consequences of the plague, etc. are all described.

I chose this book because of my interest in this historical period more than an interest in Donne. The author did not disappoint in this. There are great descriptions of life of the recusants, adventuring with Essex, the Essex revolt, life as a bureaucrat, church politics, attempts to flee the plague, the status of medicine, etc.. While the peculiarities of King James are noted and Stubbs doesn't speculate as to his reasoning in appointing Donne to head St. Paul's Cathedral, the recount his "job offer" to Donne is hilarious.

Besides those who are interested in Donne, this book will appeal to any interested in this period of British history.

I am somewhat surprised by the negative reviews. I found this to be a wonderfully entertaining book that captures not only the spirit of the man but the spirit of the times. Stubbs writes in a style that entertains while colorfully bringing the characters surrounding Donne in Elizabethan London into focus. I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone with a sincere interest in the Elizabethan period.

Donne comes across as a man who went through several distinct and unique phases in his life which enriched his writing and makes him a very interesting character study.

In this biography, John Stubbs divides the life of John Donne (1572-1631) into three separate stages. During the first, he grows up (sows those famous wild oats) and then marries. During the second, he tries to obtain secular preferment. Finally, pushed by his friends, patrons and also by King James I, he takes holy orders, finds a religious vocation and becomes Dean of St Paul's.

This biography provides details of the historical setting in which he lived, and of the religious politics which he - with his deep Roman Catholic roots - was never entirely free of. His mother was the great-niece of Sir Thomas More; his brother died as a result of harbouring a priest who was himself executed. At the time of his marriage, John Donne was Chief Secretary to the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal (Sir Thomas Egerton) and quite probably well placed for secular preferment. Alas, his secret marriage to Ann More, niece of Sir Thomas, ruined his career and earned him a brief period in prison.

But what of John Donne the man? It is tempting to read his early poems, as John Stubbs does, as reflecting the man himself. It makes Donne an even more romantic - and tragic - figure: torn at times between desire and spiritual devotion. Ann died five days after giving birth to their 12th child (10 of whom survived), after sixteen years of marriage. Donne never remarried.

I found this biography very interesting and while I am cautious about the boundary between fact and interpretation, I learned a lot about the life and times of John Donne. And, knowing a little more about the man I feel moved to read more of his poetry.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Reading John Stubb's biography of John Donne is pure joy. Stubbs vividly portrays the times and circumstances of Donne's life with vigour and wisdom, all the while staying true to the available facts and to the psychological complexity of his fascinating subject. Never have I read a biography of such splendid insight, detail and integrity.

John Stubbs' biography of John Donne won several high-profile international awards, and was heaped with praise by such renowned scholars as Peter Ackroyd and Harold Bloom. Deservedly so. Stubbs' biography is bright with detail, humor, and fascinating side stories that illuminate not just Donne but his world. This is as much a biography of Donne's time, as it is of the man himself. The few negative reviews of this book were written by rival scholars, including quite inexplicably by Stubbs' own doctoral supervisor, who clearly felt unmanned by Stubbs' brilliance and critical acclaim. In short, believe the praise and, if Donne and his world interest you, dive into this astonishing book.

I've spent a lot of time with Donne's poetry, and even in my youth researched his love affair with his wife, but I never understood the man and his relationship with his time, his loves, his kings and queen, and the church, until this meticulously researched and written biography. With grace and clarity, using a remarkable range of sources, John Stubbs has created a vivid life of a gifted writer who can still teach us much about married love and our shared humanity. I can't recommend this book highly enough.