The Soul of Wit: Study of John Donne

The Soul of Wit demonstrates the unity of experience in Donne's poetry, and suggests that despite all surface differences, there exists an underlying affinity between the 'libertine' or amatory poems and the devotional writings. The unifying impulse is traced to Donne's dissatisfaction with certain Renaissance modes of thought and his attempt to resist or negate them. In applying this reading to the major poems, the author broadens the cultural context to include such Mannerist artists as El Greco, Tintoretto, and Caravaggio, who are seen as sharing many of Donne's own philosophical and aesthetic concerns, and as offering valuable insights into the 'metaphysical' quality of his verse.