Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Donne was a late bloomer. His work wasn't really studied or appreciated until the late 1800s, more than 150 years after his death. (Source.)
Despite his musings about man not having much free will, Donne married the woman he loved, going against the church and her family's wishes. As a result, he spent some time in jail, becoming unemployed for a long time upon his release. He and his wife struggled financially for decades because of their love. (Source.)
Was Donne into zombies or just really obsessed with what happens after death? We dunno, but we do know that he was so fascinated by the afterlife that he commissioned a portrait of himself rising from the grave. (Source.)