Soldier, secretary, Anglican priest, MP, father of 12, Dean of St Paul's...it's amazing that John Donne had any spare time.

But this collection of his poems shows why it is good to give work to a busy person.

'The Poems of John Donne' is an education and an inspiration, with his signature rhetorical style ever-present.

Through love letters, songs, epigrams, satires and memorial verse, Donne reveals a breadth of knowledge and depth of understanding of the human spirit that has hardly been surpassed.

This collection is perfect for fans of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.

Born to parents who refused to reject their Roman Catholic faith, John Donne (1572-1631) defied the odds to live a remarkable life.

He is best known as a poet, with his works celebrated by many as the greatest of all metaphysical verse.

It includes sonnets, love poems, religious poems, epigrams, elegies, songs and satires.

Despite his Catholic background, Donne was ordained as an Anglican priest and made Dean of St Paul's Cathedral in 1621.

He was a Member of Parliament in 1601 and 1614.