Of the Cross, St John: - "John of the Cross (1542 - 14 December 1591) was a Carmelite friar, priest of converso origin, a mystic, and Roman Catholic saint. He was a major figure of the Spanish Counter-Reformation and is one of thirty-six Doctors of the Church. John of the Cross is well-known for his writings. Both his poetry and his studies on the development of the soul are considered the summit of mystical Spanish literature and among the greatest works of all Spanish literature.John of the Cross is considered one of the foremost poets in Spanish. Although his complete poems add up to fewer than 2500 verses, two of them, the Spiritual Canticle and the Dark Night of the Soul, are widely considered masterpieces of Spanish poetry, both for their formal style and their rich symbolism and imagery. His theological works often consist of commentaries on the poems. All the works were written between 1578 and his death in 1591."