"One of the greatest lyrical poets in Spanish of any age, St. John of the Cross (1542-1591) enjoys an authoritative status as a theologian and teacher of the mystical road to union with God. This full-length study, vividly written in a style accessible to contemporary readers, devotes a separate chapter to each of St. John's major works, citing the original Spanish and providing English translations throughout. Looking for connections between his verse and prose, Colin Thompson argues for a theological understanding of the intensely beautiful and moving poems. He seeks to explain the principles that guide St. John in his exploration of the self and its encounter with the divine, and provides an analysis of the poet' most famous symbol - the dark night of the soul."--BOOK JACKET.