Love Poetry and Criticism: Ovid, Shakespeare and Donne (Volume 1)

Ovid, William Shakespeare and John Donne are among the most prominent names within the European literary canon. Ovid was a Roman poet who was writing during late first century BC and early first century AD. Donne and Shakespeare were contemporaries who lived during the late sixteenth century and early seventeenth century. While all three have written poems, the content and form varied greatly. Ovid, who is primarily known for writing Metamorphoses, wrote love poetry of erotic nature during the early part of his literary career. Shakespeare has written love poetry primarily in the form of sonnets. These love sonnets are intensely personal and reflect deep issues of life. Donne has written a diverse range of poems, ranging from religious to secular, however, he is mainly known for writing metaphysical poems. The objective of this book is to give a critical view of the different types of love poems. It will be of great value to graduate and postgraduate scholars of literature who are interested in the theme of love in poetry.