Metaphysical poetry: Reflective Blog

Hello Readers!

        Here I would like to present one blog on metaphysical poetry given by Dr. Dilip Barad Sir.

Click here and known as what is metaphysical poetry.

                          

1)Charactaristics of Metaphysical Poetry with explanation of a few metaphysical poetry written by John Donne as well as any other Metaphysical Poet.

   Ans. The Metaphysical poets were few in number. They reacted against the elizabethan literary style and ideas. They rejected the conventional ideal of love held by Elizabethan  poets and their indifferance to real experience.

        

         Metaphysical poetry is a little bit different. The poems classified in this group do share common characteristics: they are all highly intellectualized, use rather strange imagery, use frequent paradox and contain extremely complicated thought.

•Definition of metaphysical poetry:

 The term metaphysical or metaphysics in poetry is the fruit of renaissance tree, becoming over ripe and approaching pure science. “Meta” means “beyond” and “physics” means “physical nature”. Metaphysical poetry means poetry that goes beyond the physical world of the senses and explores the spiritual world. Metaphysical poetry began early in the Jacobean age in the last stage of the age of Shakespeare.

John Donne was the leader and founder of the metaphysical school of poetry. Dryden used this word at first and said that Donne “affects the metaphysics”. Among other metaphysical poets are Abraham Cowley, Henry Vaughan, Richard Crashaw, Andrew Marvell, George Herbert, Robert Herrick etc.

• A Metaphysical:

        Donne uses the conventional images associated with the Metaphysical Science, Alchemy and Travel. He id a master of paradox.

        Apart from his imagery his poetry is characterised by a consistent use of the first person, dramatic and conversational tones, and tge irregularities in the verse, which in fact fit in with the dramatic emotions involved in his poetry.

     His use of the first person involves the reader in Donne's private experience and in his Self - analysis and creates a sense of being present, as if Donne is writing as he experiences- this is the sense of immediacy.

                      

AT THE ROUND EARTH'S IMAGINED CORNERS

     Some knowledge of metaphysical poetry is necessary before we can fully appreciate the sonnetscof John Donne. This term was, of vourse, first used by Dr.Johnson in his famous discussion of Donne, Herbert, Vaughan and Marvell. Since then the term has acquired a current usage and it implies a type of poetry that has define characteristics.

• Characteristic of Metaphysical poetry:

                 

1) Dramatic manner and direct tone of speech is one of the main characteristics of metaphysical poetry. In the starting line of the poem “The Canonization” – there is given a dramatic starting –

" For God's Sake hold your

   Tongue, and let me love."

(2) Concentration is an important quality of metaphysical poetry in general and Donne’s poetry is particular. In his all poems, the reader is held to one idea or line of argument. Donne’s poems are brief and closely woven. In “The Extasie”, the principal argument is that the function of man as a man is being worthily performed through different acts of love. He continues with the theme without digression. For instance,

"As 'twist two equal armies fate, Suspends uncertain victorie, Our souls, Hung 'twixt her and me."

(3)Wit is another characteristic of metaphysical poetry. So, here we find various allusions and images relating to practicality all areas of nature and art and learning-- to medicine, cosmology, contemporary discoveries, ancient myth, history, law and art. For instance, in “The Extasie”, Donne uses the belief of the blood containing certain spirits which acts as intermediary between soul and body –

" As our blood labours to get spirits, as like souls as it can,

Because such fingers need to knit. That subtle knot, which makes us man."

(4) Far fatched Images:

               Far fatched Images and conceits is one more feature of the Metaphisical poetry. They never tried to use and express their images from that field with which the theme of there poetry was concerned. Herbert Borrowed images from Architacture, Mechanical engineering the best example are 'The charch porch', and 'Tge pully' Marvell made use of geometrical and agreeculture images. The donnr made use of almost all types of images in his poetry.

(5) Samual Johnson has one remarkable comment to pas on the poetry of the Metaphysicals. The comment is, 

" Their poetry stood trial of their finger but lot of their ear."

      The meaning is they remain, successful in displaying their scholarship but thee failed in giving rhythm and music to their poetry.

2) write critical analysis of mataphysical poems of poets other than John Donne.

• John Donne as a Metaphysical poet:

       

                 

        John Donne was an English poet and cleric in the Church of England. He is considered the pre - eminent representative of the Metaphysical poets. Donne was born in london in 1572, into a recusant Roman Catholic family when practice of that religion was illegal in England.

       Donne's poem can be divided into three groups 1) love poem 2) Divine sonnet 3) Satires. In satires Donne is highly witty realistic poems.

• Mataphysical writers list:

1) Immanuel Kant - 1724-1804

2) Rene Descartes - 1596-1650

3) John Donne - 1571-1631

4) George Herbert - 1593-1633

5) Abraham Cowley - 1618-1667

6) Andrew Marwell - 1621-1678

7) Henry Vaughan - 1621-1695

8) Richard crashaw - 1612-1649

9) Christian D. Larson - 1874- 1954

10) Thomas Traherne - 1636-1674

11) Florence Scovel shinn - 1871-1940

• Mataphysical poetry by John Donne:

  

  

                  

                 

•" The Flea" by john Donne:

' The Flea' is a remarkable example of John Donne Mataphysical poetry. Donne has taken here help of a Biological image of if a flea to deak with the theme of love it is through this image of the flea an insect that the lover in the prasant poem expressis his love for a woman and tries to convince her not to refused his love for her.

• Song: Sweetest love, I do not go by John Donne:

" Sweetest love I do not go" by John donne is a poem about to convey that those who love never died. Physical death is no death at all in love. They can be only one type of death in love and that is separation. 

    • George Herbert as a Metaphysical poet:

             

    He was a welsh born poet, orator and priest of the church of England. His poetry is associated with the writing of the metaphysical poets, and he is recognished as ' one of the foremost British devotional lyricists. He was born into an artistic and wealthy family and largely raised in England. He served in the porliament of England in 1624 and briefly in 1625.

• works:

 1.Oratio Qua auspicatissimum serenissimi principis caroli (1623)

 2.Memoriae matris Sacram (1627)

3. Herbert' s Remains (1652)

•Herbert poem's "The window":

 George Herbert present poem is a metaphysical poemm an innovative metaphoric representation.

        In the begining the poet adks God, how man can preach the inperfect and impure, how man can use God's eternak word? The poet say despite his imperfection.

Thank you......

Referance: you tube, Wikipedia.