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The "press and the fire": print and manuscript culture in Donne's circle. (John Donne)

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From: Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900
Date: 19930101
Author:Wollman, Richard B.

John Donne's well-known aversion to setting his work down in print is widely believed to signify his antiprofessionalism and the temporary nature of his poems. A study of the motivations behind his retaining his works in manuscript form reveal that Donne wished to prevent the misinterpretation of his words which is prevalent with printed materials. He desired to retain authorial control over his poems to ensure their correct reading.

Recent critics of Donne have focused on conditions of writing, that is, on the important (and troublesome) fact that as a poet Donne actively shunned print ...

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