Metaphysical poetry by John Donne

*Metaphysical poetry:

      In the first half of the 17th century, a group of poet emerged as the metaphysical poetry is known as the metaphysical poetry. Since John Donne was The pioneer of this group, it is also known as the school of Donne. The other poets who followed the footsteps of John Donne were George Herbert, Richard crashaw, Abraham Cowley, Andrew Marwell and Robert southwell.

    These poets tried to follow the style of writing poetry which was initially cultivated by John Donne.

    The metaphysical poetry has been extensively commented upon by Dr Samuel Johnson. In his biographical work lives while writing about "The life of Cowley", Dr Johnson has tried to interpret the metaphysical poetry and its features. Dr. Johnson finds following features in the metaphysical poetry of  Donne in his school.

2] Conscious attempt:

        All the metaphysical poets made a conscious attempt to differ in the style of writing poetry from the former poets. They were not willing to continue writing poetry in the same manner. Just like Shakespeare, Spenser, Philip Sidney, Christopher marlowe and others. They wanted to make their poetry look different from the formal poets. It was a conscience attempt of two parts with the existing style of writing poetry and to colletivate a new style.

  Crites find two reasons for their desire to differ for the formal poet. The first reason is that they were fully of the fact. That they would have win rejected had they continued writing poetry in the same way. The invention of the printing press help a lot expanding education and literacy. People were also literate and it was demand to have a new kind of poetry.  This demand of the people for new time poetry was served by metaphysical poets.

 All the metaphysical were literate and degree holders they wanted to exhibit their learning and scholarship and so they tried to differ from the formal poets.

3] Far fetched Images:

       Far fetched image and conceits is one more features of metaphysical poetry. They never tried to use and express their images from that field with which the theme of there poetry was concerned. They tried to bring images to do with the theme of there poems. So they are called far fetched image. We tried to Bring their images from the branches and areas just like agriculture, Mechanical engineering, Architecture, Biology, geometry and many other fields with have nothing Coman the things their poems. Such a practice drew the attention of the readers and if made them, established poets, Harbert borrowed (picked up) images from architecture, mechanical engineering the best examples are 'The Church porch', and 'The pulley' Marwell made use of geometrical and agriculture images. The best example is "To his coy mistress" Donne made use of almost all types of images in his poetry. This kind of practice Verse of and experimented for them in which they remained successfully. 

4] Samuel Johnson has one remarkable comments to pass on the poetry of the metaphysical, the comment is, "Their poetry stood trial of their finger but a lot of their ear". 

    The meaning is they Remain, successful in displaying  their scholarship but the field in giving rhythm and music to their poetry.

       When Samuel Johnson used the word 'Metaphysical' it was in a negative sense, to criticize their poetry but with the passing of time the same term behave a term of  appraised today there is poetry is praised Metaphysical poetry.

[1] 'The Sun Rising'

    

      'The Sun Rising'  is well known poem by John Donne it is address to the sun by a lover who is in the company of his beloved. The lover expresses his concern for his beloved by addressing this poem to the rising Sun. The present Poem is also a good example of metaphysical poetry. The poem opens with the lovers rebuke to the rising Sun. The rising Sun peeps into the bedroom of this lover through windows and curtains. The lover doesn't like it. He wants to convince the sun that the seasons and climate of lovers cannot be governed by the sun. Lovers care for neither seasons no climate the lover in this poem believes that all unit of time just like moments, minutes, hours, days, months and years are nothing but the rags of time. A  true lover never cares for such hour. The lover advises the rising Sun to go away and shaw his command on late school boys, workers, officers of the court and farm labourers is command will work on these people but on lover the world of lovere is completely different and it has nothing to do with the rising of the sun.

 In the next and Stanza of a poem liver compass shine of the eyes of beloved in the shine of the sun and mentioned that the sun is not half so happy as he is in the company of his beloved he suggests the rising Sun to take a trip of the whole world and to make a survey whether spices of india are more beautiful or his beloved the lover is confident that the shine of his beloved eyes of is powerful enough to blind the sun. In brief considered to his beloved superior to the rising Sun.

The  third and concluding stanza of the poem is a comparison between the political Empire of a king and the empire of love. He is of the opinion that he himself of the king and his beloved is his empire the worldly kings. Who rule over different kingdoms just imitate this lover and this beloved he believes that his world is world is where his beloved is. If the sun shines where she is, it would be good as shining everywhere. There is no need for the sun to go elsewhere but to shine where she is the lover requests the rising Sun to make four walls of that room his four and not to go anywhere. The reason is that the whole world is where she is. 

Donne has remarkable use of Far fetched images in the present poem. 'The rising Sun' which is an image of the field of astronomy is utilised here for the theme of one more images which belongs to the field of chemistry- "Alchemic" has been used here for the expressed of love. The lover wants to say that wealth is nothing compared to love and to say this he considers wealth nothing but a chemical- a coin made of some liquid matte. It reflects Donnes knowledge about chemistry one more far fetched image which we find in the present poem is mimic it is an image belonging to the field of informing art and that has been employed here for the expression of love in brief "The Sun Rising" is a good example of Metaphysical poetry.

 [2] Holy sonnet: 10

      "Death, be not proud"

     

 Death be not proud is a very popular Holy Sonnet of John Donne. The present Sonnet is addressed by the poet to death itself. The attempt of the poet is nullify fear of death by writing fourteen lines on death.

    Generally speaking, most of the people consider death mighty and dangerous,  brightening and very painful experience of life. But the poet reacts altogether in a different way to death. In the very opening the poets clarified that is neither Mighty nor dreadful. Death itself may think that it ends the life of the people. But in reality those people die. Death can never end internal life of people. The poet considers death nothing more than a transitory pause. In the eternal life he believes that death is nothing more than rest and sleep. If the poet has to draw a picture of death, him drawn the picture of a person enjoying sound sleep and rest that means death offers sleep and rest to mankind so it that pleasure should be derived from death the poet tries to nullify fear of death by giving examples of the best of people. Even the best of people have gone with death the earliest. Which in itself is a proof that death cannot be dreadful of painful. The poet acquaints the readers which certain dueling places of death. It's favourite dwelling place are poison, war and sickness the presence of these three have in them the presence of death. The poet considers death nothing more than a slave of for elements. Death has to come or follow commands of these four elements. Those for elements which governed death are fate, king, chance and disparate man what the poet won't to convey is that when fate decides, death has to come. When the king declares death penalty death has to come and finally when a man in distress decides to end his life by killing himself, death has to come. This is how death is a slave of four elements and follows that command.

   The poet can say with confidence that death has no courage on capacity to kill even him. Death is nothing more than permanent rest to bones body and soul as delivered to a new body. The poet makes a comparison between how sleep is caused by death and by the charms of a mother. Death cause sleep in a single stroke whereas charms of a mother cause a sleep in Slow and gradual way so there  is no need to be proud it is just a small sleep after which a person gets up eaternallu in a new form with a new body if death if accepted and received in such a manner, it would be the death of itself and they will never be frightening effect of death.

[3] The Flea

"The Flea" is A remarkable example of John Donne metaphysical poetry. Donne has taken here help of a biological image. Of if a Flea to deal with the theme of love it is through this image of Flea- an insect that the lover in the present poem expresses his love for a woman and tries to convince her not to refuse his love for her.

 The poem is divided into three stanzas in which at the centre is the image of 'The Flea' the first stanza of the poem is about the flea, sucking his blood and them herb blood through the act is to feel the Lover of tries being its to her notice that there bloods have become one in the holes of these flying Jet. It is more than there marriage bed and the church. The blood have already became one but there is no less for maidenhood and sense of sin and shame by making his argument the lover won't to convince her that she is rejected him for no reason. That flea looks more healthy offer after sucking there blood. It conveys that blood both would be happier if she accepts his proposal.

 The second stanza of the poem deals with that lady attempt to killed the flea. The lover request her not to kill that insect because in killing there insects she would be killing three lines it would be the act of killing him, killing herself and also killing the life of that insect lover doesn't mind if she kills him but he doesn't want her to come in deadly sin of self murder-suicide, he want to save her from such a sin and so he request are not to killed that a Flea. Here the liver sounds as a well-wisher of that lady because he doesn't want her to commit suicide.

 The opening of the third stanza suggested that the lady had already made her nails for purple by killing that a Flea. Now he tries to present his care by applying the New logic. That logic is of false fear the lover wants her to learn a lesson from her act of killing that Flea. She killed it and yet both are very much alive. If the same manner if she accepts him and his proposal it would add there joy and to her owner. The basic argument of the lover is that no woman ever  loses her owner if she accepts proposal on the contrary it adds to her own. The loss of the life of flea has teach a lesson to her and the lesson is that most of our fears a false. He doesn't find any sense of sin and act shame if he is accepted by her 'The Flea' is just an example to convince.