Includes bibliographical references.

Lyric poems as classics -- Lyric poems as a genre -- A guide to explicating poetry -- The sonnet as a verse form -- How metaphor, simile, and allusion work -- The content and format of this guide -- John Donne : John Donne and his poetry ; Holy sonnet 1: Thou hast made me ; Holy sonnet 2: As due by many titles I resign ; Holy sonnet 4: O my black soul ; Holy sonnet 6: This is my play's last scene ; Holy sonnet 7: At the round earth's imagined corners ; Holy sonnet 10: Death, be not proud ; Holy sonnet 11: Spit in my face, you Jews ; Holy sonnet 14: Batter my heart ; Holy sonnet 15: Wilt thou love God as He thee? ; Meditation seventeen from Devotions upon emergent occasions ; From Sermon 7 -- George Herbert : George Herbert and his poetry ; Aaron ; Redemption ; Prayer ; Virtue ; The pulley ; The agony ; Love (III) ; The elixir ; Easter (song) ; The collar -- John Milton : John Milton and his sonnets ; Sonnet 7: How soon hath time ; Sonnet 9: Lady that in the prime of earliest youth ; Sonnet 14: When faith and love ; Sonnet 19: When I consider how my light is spent ; Sonnet 23: Methought I saw my late espoused saint.