Introduction to metaphysical poetry. What is Metaphysical Poetry? 2022-11-06
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Metaphysical poetry is a style of poetry that emerged in the seventeenth century, characterized by its use of elaborate metaphors and extended conceits, as well as its exploration of abstract and intellectual themes. The term "metaphysical," in this context, refers to the poets' use of intellectual and philosophical ideas, rather than the supernatural or mystical.
One of the most famous practitioners of metaphysical poetry was John Donne, who is credited with helping to establish the genre. Donne's poetry is known for its complex and elaborate metaphors, as well as its use of paradox and wit. His poems often explore themes of love, death, and the nature of existence, and are characterized by their use of clever wordplay and rhetorical devices.
Another notable metaphysical poet was Andrew Marvell, whose poetry was also characterized by its use of extended metaphors and conceits, as well as its exploration of abstract themes. Marvell's poetry is known for its wit and irony, as well as its use of satire and political commentary.
Metaphysical poetry is often contrasted with the more traditional forms of poetry, such as sonnets and ballads, which tend to be more structured and focused on traditional themes of love and nature. In contrast, metaphysical poetry is more experimental and intellectually ambitious, seeking to explore abstract ideas and philosophical themes through the use of complex language and figurative devices.
Despite its popularity in the seventeenth century, metaphysical poetry fell out of favor in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as the Romantic movement focused on more emotional and personal themes. However, the influence of metaphysical poetry can still be seen in the work of modern poets, who continue to explore intellectual and abstract ideas through the use of extended metaphors and conceits.
An Introduction to Metaphysical Poetry
In the opinion of one critic of the 1960s, defining the extent of the Baroque style in 17th-century English poetry "may even be said to have taken the place of the earlier discussion of the metaphysical". Some of the authors who explored these themes were John Donne, George Herbert, Andrew Marvell, and Henry Vaughan. Brevity — yes; highly terse and concise and succinct. Therefore the love which us doth bind, But Fate so enviously debars, Is the conjunction of the mind, And opposition of the stars. Born in 1572 in London to a Roman Catholic family during a time when England was largely anti-Catholic, Donne eventually converted to the Anglican faith.
Metaphysical Poetry An Introduction The term metaphysical refers
The style was argumentative and logically worked out, but often there was no relation between the start of the poem and the finish. Eliot We introduce some classic. It is not stated clearly or obviously. The Metaphysical poets were few in number. Cowley has copied him to a fault.
Another striking example occurs in Baroque poems celebrating "black beauty", built on the opposition between the norm of feminine beauty and instances that challenge that commonplace. The start of Lachrymae Musarum 1649. He received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he became friends with the poet Ezra Pound. On the death of Donne, it is natural that his friend Edward Herbert should write him an elegy full of high-flown and exaggerated Metaphysical logic. In the Sonnet " "One short sleep past, we wake eternally And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die. They deliberately avoided conventional poetic style to bring something new to the readers. He is the author of, among others, and.
Or, does humankind really have free choice? The Contribution of Metaphysical Poets to English Literature Here are some of the main contributions of the metaphysical poets to English literature. Their style was not conventional and the versification contrast with much of the Elizabethan writers. It can be harsh sometimes too. Metaphysical poetry prompts the readers to question their reality and existence. My vegetable love should grow Vaster than empires and more slow;" In another poem, " "Unless the giddy heaven fall, And earth some new convulsion tear; And, us to join, the world should all Be cramped into a planisphere.
And I replied My Lord. The strange imagery in his poem " "I placed a jar in Tennessee, And round it was, upon a hill. Due to the common characteristics, Johnson grouped the poets together under the banner 'Metaphysical Poetry'. Had we but world enough and time, This coyness, lady, were no crime. The jar was round upon the ground And tall and of a port in air. Often a short poem and a satirical one with a witty or clever ending. In the history of English literature, either poets laid great emphasis on intellect, reason, thinking or feelings and emotions.
It is intellectual and witty. Eliot wrote that in the last 250 years brainwork and emotion have tended to become separate in poetry, to its loss. Donne was ordained an Anglican priest on the orders of King James I. The poems written by Poems of 1645. Conceit compares very dissimilar things. Because it provides such complicated themes, the idea of metaphysical poems is somewhat not definite.
There was little reference to contemporary matters, political or otherwise, but the problems of the time were often reflected in the poetry, especially the religious issues. In his initial use of the term, Johnson quoted just three poets: Two key anthologists in particular were responsible for identifying common stylistic traits among 17th-century poets. The thing that is obvious here is that none of these questions has a definite answer in science. So while spontaneous cries from the heart may have been lacking, so also were self-pity and sentimentality. Donne is famous for treating spiritual love in his poems. Dr Johnson coined the phrase MP whilst referring to Abraham Cowley in his book Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets 1779-81.
. VVith elegies on the authors death. His In Milton's case, there is an understandable difference in the way he matched his style to his subjects. An epigram is a pithy saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way. Which is why Donne wrote poetry in a new way.
They enjoyed showing off their education and virtuosity. Both went on to develop radically different ways of writing; neither could be counted as potentially Metaphysical poets. Elegy 11 Anagram by Donne Platonic Love : This is spiritual love, free of the bounds of sexual or physical love. Retrieved 25 March 2012. Colloquialism : A vital feature as they reacted against the traditional diction of earlier years.
Metaphysical poets write on weighty topics such as love and religion using "The metaphysical poets were men of learning, and to show their learning was their whole endeavour; but, unluckily resolving to show it in rhyme, instead of writing poetry they only wrote verses, and very often such verses as stood the trial of the finger better than of the ear; for the modulation was so imperfect that they were only found to be verses by counting the syllables. The European dimension of the Catholic poets Crashaw and Southwell has been commented on by others. It made the slovenly wilderness Surround that hill. The Metaphysicals often deliver spectacular philosophical ideas, and set out highly emotional situations in an off-hand way, and accompany them with humour and sometimes with paradox. In his youth, Donne relied on wealthy friends, spending his inheritance on literature, pastimes, and travel. They merged diverse ideas forcibly and they used nature and art to establish conceits, imagery, and allusions.
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