Holy Sonnet 17

Since she whom I loved hath paid her last debt
To Nature, and to hers, and my good is dead,
And her soul early into heaven ravishèd,
Wholly on heavenly things my mind is set.
Here the admiring her my mind did whet
To seek thee, God; so streams do show the head;
But though I have found thee, and thou my thirst hast fed,
A holy thirsty dropsy melts me yet.
But why should I beg more love, whenas thou
Dost woo my soul, for hers offering all thine:
And dost not only fear lest I allow
My love to saints and angels, things divine,
But in thy tender jealousy dost doubt
Lest the world, flesh, yea, devil put thee out.

I was looking for a novel that would tell me a bit more about John Donne's life. This one is well written but reads too much like a romance for me to completely love it. The focus is on his wife Anne, and since little is known of her I was disappointed in the mostly fictional part of her story. I was looking for more fact. I also didn't get that much of a "feel" for the time period involved, which is the end of Gloriana's reign.
Still, I did not feel as if I had wasted my reading time! I just had to adjust my expectations to enjoy it. ( )

An utterly irresistible compelling historical novel. It is above all the passionate story of the love match between one of the most famous poets of all time and his young bride. ( )

A gentle meander through Tudor times (during the reign of Elizabeth I) looking at the fictionalised relationship between Lady Ann More and John Donne, who married in real life.

I enjoyed this book, it was written well and made good uncomplicated bedtime reading. My only complaint is that I would have liked to hear more of their life after moving to the country. ( )

The Lady and the Poet was a very interesting accounting of the love affair between Lady Ann More and the poet John Donne. Though fictionalized, it provided glimpses of live in their times. Lady Ann fights traditions and is verbal and somewhat disobedient with regard to her family's intentions. She neither wants to attend court or marry the man chosen for her. She is kind hearted and generous and takes on orpahned children in an attempt to better their lives. She isn't comfortable with her priveleged life and the social requirements of it.

While I enjoyed this novel, I wish that it had been a little less about the other characters and more about her life with John Donne.

As historical fiction goes this was one of the better novels of the genre. Fans of this genre will greatly enjoy this read. ( )