The Secular Resurrection of John Donne

Abstract

Objectives: The paper attempts to examine the evolving interpretations and critical perspectives on the gradual secular resurrection of John Donne’s work.

Methods: The paper uses reader interpretations receptionist approach to understand how different readers interpret Donne’s work. This includes examining the range of response, interpretations, and engagements the readers have shown with the work to get rich insights about the secular resurrection of Donne’s work overtime.

Results: Through examining Donne’s interest in Juvenal’s satire and its influence on him, Donne’s immediate reception in Walton’s Lives, a trace of the nineteenth-century reception and editing of Donne’s works, and other insights and analyses, the research reveals that there has been a major shift in the reception of Donne’s secular themes, depicting the evolving understanding and appreciation of Donne’s secular resurrection over time.

Conclusions: The examination states the intricate interplay between the religious and the secular in Donne’s work, establishing that the secular resurrection of John Donne will persist, providing valuable insights into the enduring power of literature to provoke thought, challenge convention, and shape the ongoing understanding of him.