但恩(1572～1631年)

Donne, John

英国抽象诗派诗人。出生於天主教家庭，十二岁时进入牛津大学，後转至剑桥大学，接着又学习法律。由於与雇主的女儿秘密结婚，触犯了法律，遭到社会排斥多年。他改信国教，1615年受按立，不久晋升为王室牧师。1621年任圣保罗大教堂教长。身为英国最伟大的玄学派诗人，他写了许多爱情诗、宗教诗。大部分写於早年的爱情诗，是他最负盛名的诗。後来的作品便显得较晦暗，如《周年纪念日》（1611～1612），对十年来这个世界的冥想写成的两首长诗。他十九首着名的十四行诗（写於1607～1613）在他死後出版。《紧急时刻祈祷文》（1624）是他最重要的散文作品。他擅长把激情与机智的辩论融为一体，戏剧性地描述人的复杂心情。他使用的比喻大胆而不落俗套，能使普通词汇产生丰富的诗意，而又不歪曲英语习语的本质。对17和20世纪的作家影响巨大。

English version：

1572～1631年

Donne, John

English poet. Born into a Roman Catholic family, he entered Oxford University at 12; he later transferred to Cambridge, and subsequently studied law. An adventurer in youth, he hoped for a high public appointment, but a clandestine marriage to his employer's daughter ruined his prospects. He converted to Anglicanism; ordained in 1615, he became a preacher of great power and eloquence and was installed as dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in 1621. The greatest of the English Metaphysical poets (see Metaphysical poetry), he is noted for his love lyrics, religious verse and treatises, and sermons. His secular poetry, most written early in his career, is direct, intense, brilliantly witty, and daringly imaginative. Later his tone darkened with works such as the Anniversaries (1611-12), two long poems meditating on the decay of the world. His 19 famous “Holy Sonnets” (written 1607-13) were published posthumously. Among his prose works, many as dramatic and intimate as his poetry, the most enduring is Devotions upon Emergent Occasions (1624).