Donne Island

No man is an island unto himself," a line written during the Renaissance by poet John Donne, reflects the brotherhood of all men. While this line was written at the height of the Renaissance, it has remained meaningful in both public and private spheres in the decades since. Today, contemporary attitudes in society often reflect this theme of the brotherhood of man, including the humanitarian reasons that George Bush gave for the invasion of Iraq. In my personal experience, the idea of brotherhood put forth by Donne, plays an important role in personal hopes for the future of my generation. Ultimately, both Donne's poem itself and the ideas about brotherhood that it espoused have had a lasting influence in western history and culture that remains valid today.

Donne's Mediation XVII

Meditation XVII is a poem that delves into the theme of the brotherhood of man. In Meditation XVII,...
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