Meditations On Sickness, Recovery & Death: The meditations from Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions & his self-delivered funeral sermon, Death's Duel (A Consolation To The Soul Against The Dying Life And Living Death Of The Body)

By 1617, Donne had done it all. After being an MP, lawyer, womaniser, soldier, diplomat, father to twelve children by a secret wife, and the greatest poet of his age, he settled into the priesthood. Shortly thereafter, his wife died, prompting him to write a defence of suicide in God's eyes. She was soon followed by his 18 year old daughter died.

Then Donne fell gravely ill. Physicians were called, but none could agree on what to do. It seemed certain that he would die.

While bedridden from i...