This cache pays tribute to John Donne (pronounced dun) and specifically his work entitled Meditation XVII. John Donne was an English Jacobean poet, preacher and a major representative of the metaphysical poets of the early 17th century. His works are notable for their realistic and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons. His poetry is noted for its vibrancy of language and inventiveness of metaphor, especially as compared to those of his contemporaries. While Meditation XVII is not actual poetry, its influence on later authors is clear. The following is an excerpt from Meditation XVII:
"....No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee...."
This one passage from Meditation XVII inspired two pieces of classic literature: Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and
Thomas Merton's "No Man is an Island."
For lots more information, check out John Donne's wikipedia page here and Meditation XVII here.
The Cache: The posted coordinates lead you to Stage 1, where you will find the answer to the question "For whom the bells toll?"
The final cache is at N39 38 XXX W 078 08.8YY where:
A = the number of letters in his nickname, B = the number of letters in his first name, C = the number of letters in his last name, D = the number of bells, XXX = (C*D)+A+A+D+D, and YY = A+B+B+C+D.
The final is a small match container. The is no room for a writing implement - please BYOP. No climbing or leaving the grounds is necessary. And as usual, no grave markers need be disturbed.
Enjoy.
The Wandering Panhandlers
Congratulations to LisaandDarin and LittleRedneck94 for the Mother's Day 2009 FTF!