John Donne quotes

John Donne was an English poet, scholar, and cleric, famous for his metaphysical poetry and profound sermons. His works explore themes like love, mortality, and religion with inventive language and wit. He is remembered as one of the most influential figures in English literature. Here are 138 of his quotes:

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee. (John Donne)
For God's sake hold your tongue, and let me love. View quote
John Donne
No spring, nor summer beauty hath such grace, As I have seen in one autumnal face. View quote
John Donne
I do nothing upon myself, and yet am mine own executioner. View quote
John Donne
Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee. View quote
John Donne
Other men's crosses are not my crosses. View quote
John Donne
More than kisses, letters mingle souls. View quote
John Donne
Humiliation is the beginning of sanctification. View quote
John Donne
Love's mysteries in souls do grow, But yet the body is his book. View quote
John Donne
Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies. View quote
John Donne
Be thine own palace, or the world's thy jail. (John Donne)
Busy old fool, unruly Sun, Why dost thou thus, Through windows, and through curtains call on us? Must to thy motions lovers' seasons run? View quote
John Donne
I am two fools, I know, For loving, and for saying so In whining poetry. View quote
John Donne
Nature's great masterpiece, an elephant; the only harmless great thing. View quote
John Donne
Reason is our soul's left hand, Faith her right, By these we reach divinity. View quote
John Donne
Let us love nobly, and live, and add again Years and years unto years, till we attain To write threescore: this is the second of our reign. View quote
John Donne
What if this present were the world's last night? View quote
John Donne
That subtle knot which makes us man: So must pure lovers' souls descend T' affections, and to faculties, Which sense may reach and apprehend, Else a great Prince in prison lies. View quote
John Donne
To rage, to lust, to write to, to commend, All is the purlieu of the god of love. View quote
John Donne
All whom war, dearth, age, agues, tyrannies, Despair, law, chance, hath slain. View quote
John Donne
Whilst my physicians by their love are grown Cosmographers, and their map, who lie Flat on this bed. (John Donne)
Dull sublunary lovers' love (Whose soul is sense) cannot admit Absence, because it doth remove Those things which elemented it. View quote
John Donne
Poor intricated soul! Riddling, perplexed, labyrinthical soul! View quote
John Donne
The heavens rejoice in motion, why should I Abjure my so much loved variety. View quote
John Donne
And new philosophy calls all in doubt, The element of fire is quite put out; The sun is lost, and the earth, and no man's wit, Can well direct him where to look for it. And freely men confess that this world's spent, When in the planets, and the firmament They seek so many new; then see that this Is crumbled out again to his atomies. 'Tis all in pieces, all coherence gone; All just supply, and all relation: Prince, subject, Father, Son, are things forgot. View quote
John Donne