Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Donne was "obsessed with the idea of death," and even posed for a painting wearing the same kind of cloth (a shroud) used to cover dead bodies. Kind of makes sense in the light of this poem, no? (Source)
Donne converted from Roman Catholicism to Anglicanism, the semi-official religion of England. This was a big deal back in the Renaissance, when being Catholic in England could lead to persecution. (Source)
Donne was considered one of the very best preachers of his day, and his sermons are first-rate. Despite this, he also wrote some sexually explicit poems that would make your mother blush bright red. Check out "The Flea," in which he describes his blood mingling with his lover’s inside, yes, a bug. (Source)