Books

Printed for John Marriot, and are to be sold by Richard Marriot at his shop by Chancery lane end over against the Inner Temple gate, London:, 1650. 14.2 x 9 cm. Octavo: [8], 392, [32] p. A4, B-Z8, Aa8, (aa)8, (bb)4, Bb-Cc8. Early edition of this master work, with the portrait frontispiece. Very good condition, rebound in 17th or 18th Century leather. Housed in a custom-made collector's slipcase. Few of Donne's best known poems were published during his lifetime, though handwritten copies of most of them were circulated through literary circles. Part of the secrecy was due to a fear of prosecution for blasphemy -- Donne crossed boundaries between the religious and the erotic. Frontispiece may be a facsimile. Book is very good, housed in a custom-made collector's slipcase.

John Donne's poetry is known for its vibrant language and inventiveness. His work, which includes sonnets, love poems, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, and satires, is remarkable for its metaphysical style, and it frequently reflects upon themes of love, death, and religion. 'Poems. With Elegies on the Authors Death' brings together a rich tapestry of Donne's poetical works.