Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions Together With Death's Duel

John Donne (1572 - 1631)

Devotions upon Emergent Occasions is a 1624 prose work by the English theologian and writer John Donne, Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. It is a series of reflections that were written as Donne recovered from a serious illness. The work consists of twenty-three parts ('devotions') describing each stage of the sickness. Each part is further divided into a Meditation, an Expostulation (or objection) , and a Prayer. The work is an excellent example of seventeenth century English spirituality and sometimes feels a bit dated. Yet much solid nourishment can be found. “Death’s Duel” is Donne’s last sermon prepared for presentation before the King during Lent; it is commonly seen as Donne’s own funeral oration. The biographical material is from Izaak Walton’s Lives. The most famous part of the Devotions is number XVII (17), containing these lines: 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. (Summary by Wikipedia and David Wales)>/p>

Genre(s): Essays & Short Works, Christianity - Other

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 01 The Life Of Dr John Donne Part 1 David Wales
01:00:27
Play 02 02 The Life Of Dr John Donne Part 2 David Wales
00:47:36
Play 03 03 Devotions - Introduction David Wales
00:05:34
Play 04 04 Devotion I (1) David Wales
00:12:31
Play 05 05 Devotion II (2) David Wales
00:11:40
Play 06 06 Devotion III (3) David Wales
00:14:37
Play 07 07 Devotion IV (4) David Wales
00:17:13
Play 08 08 Devotion V (5) David Wales
00:14:06
Play 09 09 Devotion VI (6) David Wales
00:18:07
Play 10 10 Devotion VII (7) David Wales
00:17:37
Play 11 11 Devotion VIII (8) David Wales
00:16:01
Play 12 12 Devotion IX (9) David Wales
00:15:33
Play 13 13 Devotion X (10) David Wales
00:16:07
Play 14 14 Devotion XI (11) David Wales
00:18:28
Play 15 15 Devotion XII (12) David Wales
00:16:01
Play 16 16 Devotion XIII (13) David Wales
00:11:50
Play 17 17 Devotion XIV (14) David Wales
00:19:34
Play 18 18 Devotion XV (15) David Wales
00:13:29
Play 19 19 Devotion XVI (16) David Wales
00:12:45
Play 20 20 Devotion XVII (17) David Wales
00:15:14
Play 21 21 Devotion XVIII (18) David Wales
00:19:03
Play 22 22 Devotion XIX (19) David Wales
00:22:05
Play 23 23 Devotion XX (20) David Wales
00:15:36
Play 24 24 Devotion XXI (21) David Wales
00:18:26
Play 25 25 Devotion XXII (22) David Wales
00:15:04
Play 26 26 Devotion XXIII (23) David Wales
00:19:15
Play 27 Death's Duel David Wales
01:07:03