John Donne

John Donne, a prominent English poet and mystical theologian, was born in London in 1572. His family was Roman Catholic. He studied at prestigious schools and colleges, including Oxford. In 1601, he married Anne More, with whom he had many children, and in 1615, he was ordained as a priest. He later earned a Doctor of Theology degree from the University of Cambridge and, in 1621, became the Dean of St. Paul's in London, a position he held until his death in 1631. He is renowned for his poetry and the sermons he delivered to his congregation in the later years of his life, for which he likely wished and expected to be remembered.