John Donne
Lesson plans for poetry and essays

The Circle of Souls in John Donne's "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning"
This critical essay examines the symbolism of the poem, including the metaphysical conceit of the legs of the compass.

Is No Man an Island?
Designed for 8th graders, this standards-based lesson encourages students to memorize and analyze the "no man is an island" passage. Students also work with art and music.

John Donne
Criticism, biography, and e-texts.

John Donne
Links to criticism, biography, and e-texts from the Internet Public Library.

John Donne
A brief biography and links to e-texts of the Meditations, poetry, and quotations.

John Donne Online
Links to a variety of poems and prose.

The Metaphysical Poets
This study guide includes poetry by Donne, George Herbert, Andrew Marvell, and Henry Vaughan.

Part Three: The Early Modern West
Introduction and four journal topics for "The Good-Morrow," "The Flea," Holy Sonnets X and XIV, and "Hymn to God the Father."

Study Questions on John Donne
This page has study questions for the following: "The Good Morrow," "Go and Catch a Falling Star," "The Sun Rising," "The Canonization," "The Flea," "A Nocturnal," "The Bait," "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," "The Ecstasy," "A Lecture upon the Shadow," "Holy Sonnets," "Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward," "Devotions: Meditation 4," "Devotions: Meditation 17," "Devotions: Expostulation 19," and an excerpt from Sermon 76.

"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning"
Access to this audio file requires an MP3 player such as QuickTime.