#ClassicPoetry – #John Donne – #NoManIsAnIsland

/ Marcia Meara

Taking a look at another of my very favorite poems today. This one is less about lyrical poetry and more about contemplation of humanity. It always made me stop and think, and I hope it will either bring back memories of your own school studies or introduce you to something you may not have read before. Either way, it’s a bit more profound than what I’ve shared to date, but it never hurts to stop now and then for a moment of contemplation, right? 

NOTE: Because this is actually an excerpt from  an essay, it has been presented as a poem in various formats over the centuries. This is my favorite, as far as line breaks are concerned, and I certainly prefer the version with today’s English, as opposed to the way it was spoken in the fifteen and sixteen hundreds.

No Man Is an Island
John Donne – 1571 – 1631

No man is an island entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less,
As well as if a promontory were,
As well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were;
Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.

John Donne

John Donne was an English poet, scholar, soldier and secretary born into a recusant family, who later became a cleric in the Church of England.[2] Under royal patronage, he was made Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral in London (1621–1631). He is considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His poetical works are noted for their metaphorical and sensual style and include sonnets, love poems, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs and satires. He is also known for his sermons.

Donne’s style is characterized by abrupt openings and various paradoxes, ironies and dislocations. These features, along with his frequent dramatic or everyday speech rhythms, his tense syntax and his tough eloquence, were both a reaction against the smoothness of conventional Elizabethan poetry and an adaptation into English of European baroque and mannerist techniques. His early career was marked by poetry that bore immense knowledge of English society. Another important theme in Donne’s poetry is the idea of true religion, something that he spent much time considering and about which he often theorised. He wrote secular poems as well as erotic and love poems. He is particularly famous for his mastery of metaphysical conceits.

And there you have today’s Classic Poetry offering.
Hope this one made you stop to ponder the reality
that all humanity is connected.

39 thoughts on “#ClassicPoetry – #John Donne – #NoManIsAnIsland”

    • Wow, Jackie! How wonderful to have lived near such interesting sites, and the picture is marvelous. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and taking a moment to say hello and share your experiences! Have a super week, and happy travels! 😀 ❤

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    • I agree, Olga, and wish more people recognized that thought. Glad you enjoyed today’s post, and thanks so much for stopping by to let me know. Have a great week! 😀 ❤

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    • I’m glad you enjoyed reading an old favorite, Miriam, and I agree with you 100%. I never tire of reading this one, and yep, it always provokes thoughts to ponder. Thanks for stopping by this morning, and here’s to a great week ahead! 😀 ❤

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  5. Those few short lines pack a huge emotional punch. I’ve loved this one since I first read it and it’s no surprise that both the first and last lines have been used for novels that express our need for each other in both personal and global terms. Another terrific choice, Marcia. ♥♥

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    • You are so right, Trish! Such powerful lines, and SO much impact delivered with so few words. This will always remain one of my favorite poems of all time, maybe #1 in many ways, though I have others I like as much for different reasons. So glad you enjoyed today’s choice, and thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. Hope you have a wonderful week ahead! 😀 ❤

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    • He certainly had an amazing way with words, didn’t he, Jeanne? So glad you enjoy his works, and I really appreciate your stopping by to share your thoughts on this talented poet from so long ago. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead! 😀 ❤

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  7. An amazing poet! I had an amazing high school English teacher too. We studied Donne, read For Whom the Bell Tolls, and studied a pop song with one of Donne’s lines in it back-to-back, drawing a connection between the three of them.

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    • I’m glad you enjoy Donne’s work, too, Vera, and wow, what a great way to present it, in a combo of studies like that. I’ve always loved this poem and thought it one of the most profound works I’ve ever read. Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed the post today, and a little trip down Memory Lane, too. Hope you have a fantastic week ahead! 😀 ❤

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  8. There aren’t many adults who wouldn’t recognize the last couple of phrases from this poem, Marcia. I agree entirely with Donne that no man is an island. No person wins or fails entirely by his own efforts. We’re all connected and all responsible.

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    • He certainly hit the nail on the head with this one, didn’t he? Even all these centuries later, his words still ring true. Glad you enjoyed today’s Classic Poetry, Nancy, and thanks for stopping by to share your thoughts. Have a super week ahead! 😀 ❤

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    • You got that right, Jan. Isn’t it interesting that all these centuries later, Donne’s eloquent expression of this truth is still valid and resonates with us loud and clear today. (Interesting and scary, both!) Glad you enjoyed reading one of my favorites from my long ago youth, and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on it. Hope you have a great week ahead! 😀 ❤

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    • I agree, Sue, and you’re very welcome. This is a poem that has stuck with me for decades, and I was happy to include it in this series. Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a moment to weigh in on this subject. Hope you have a wonderful week ahead! 😀 ❤

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  13. I love John Donne. Before I retired, I worked in a campus police office. One of the officers found a copy of Death be not Proud at an event. They assumed it was a threatening note written by a student. When I came in the next morning, they wanted me to track down the schedule of classes for a student named John Donne. I informed my boss that it would be difficult since the person had been dead for several years.

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    • So glad you enjoyed it, Carol, and that it brought back special memories. I was introduced to John Donne somewhere around 12 or 13 years of age, in Junior High English, and this one in particular has always stuck with me. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and leave a comment, and I hope you have a great week ahead! 😀 ❤

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    • It is definitely profound, for sure, Denise! I’m glad you enjoyed the post and perhaps a bit of contemplating, too. Thanks so much taking a moment to share your thoughts, and here’s to a great rest of the week! 😀 ❤

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