Donne/Johnson

joanna bujes joanna.bujes at ebay.sun.com
Tue Mar 5 13:42:35 PST 2002


At 01:36 PM 03/05/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>Boo hiss, I adore Donne, read him constantly, quote him to my sweetie.

Sir, more than kisses, letters mingle soules, for thus friends absent speak.

--------------------

Me too. Even wrote a dissertation about him. But I understand the appeal of Jonson: take this for example:

Queen and huntress, chaste and fair,

Now the sun is laid to sleep,

Seated in thy silver chair

State in wonted manner keep:

Hesperus entreats thy light,

Goddess excellently bright.

Earth, let not thy envious shade

Dare itself to interpose;

Cynthia's shining orb was made

Heaven to clear when day did close:

Bless us then with wished sight,

Goddess excellently bright.

Lay thy bow of pearl apart

And thy crystal-shining quiver;

Give unto the flying hart

Space to breathe, how short soever:

Thou that mak'st a day of night,

Goddess excellently bright.

About as classic an English poem as one could find: crystalline, complete. Jonson writes to the heart as Donne writes to the intelligence and, I suppose, it's a matter of inclination which grabs you best.

Joanna



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