Metaphysical poetry
Early Jacobean age is considered as the starting or beginning time of Metaphysical Poetry. i.e. the last stage of the age of Shakespeare between 1590 and 1660. John Donne is considered the leader and founder of the metaphysical school of poetry. He started a new way of writing poetry as a reaction against the conventional poetry of the Spenserians. Dr. Johnson named Donne and his followers as “ the metaphysical poets”. He borrowed this title from Dryden’s famous phrase “Donne effects metaphysics . John Donne , George Herbert, Thomas Crew , Henry Vaughan, Richard Crashaw, Andrew Marvel, Cowley etc. are called the metaphysical poets. They revolted against the conventional Elizabethan poetry. They wanted to surprise and startle readers by they are learning, novelty of thought and expression, far fetched images and extraordinary vocabulary. They drew images from the world of nature science and philosophy.
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Characteristics of the metaphysical poetry are as under:
(1) Delight in novel thought and expression
The matter physical desired to say what had never been said before. They took great care to be singular in their thoughts but careless towards their diction. They did not like to follow the known path. They had they are own thoughts and they expressed them in their own style. Elizabethans played with words where as they played with thoughts. They often wanted to surprise the readers but sometimes it became difficult for the readers to understand them.
(2) Wit
According to Walter Scott, wit is the silent feature of the metaphysical poetry. The witty expression and novel Ideas are fundamental things of metaphysical poetry. The metaphysical poets seek to work out a logical connection between the abstract and concrete. Metaphysical wheat was used to combing thought and feelings. Dryden said about the wit of Donne.
“Donne was the greatest wit, though not the greatest poet of our nation.”
(3) Far fetched images
Dr. Johnson was against use of far fetched images by the metaphysical poets. However modern critics have appreciated their function in metaphysical poetry. The used simple and concrete metaphors in the frame of some abstract thought or deep philosophy. There images are not only far fetched but sometimes nonsense too.
“I saw eternity the other night Like a great ring of pure and endless night all calm as it was”
The metaphysical poets took images from all the fields of knowledge science as well as nature.
(4) Affection and hyperbole
The thoughts of metaphysical poets are often startling but seldom natural. Natural grace is often difficult to find in metaphysical writer ,which is full of artificial thoughts and hyperbolic expression. However,one must remember that in good metaphysical poetry the hyperbole is never superficial.
Donne cries out to his mistress:
“ O more than moon draw not up seas to draw me in thy sphere”
Donne says that the mistress is more than moon because she is fairer, she attracts the poet as the moon does the tides, her tears are akin the salt seas on which he is about to voyage.
(5) Exhibition of learning and scholarship
The chief objects of the metaphysical poets was to show their learning and they were men of learning. Metaphysical poetry was full of scholarship of its authors. A whole book of knowledge can be written on the scholarly writings of Donne and Cowley alone. The metaphysical poets were learned and intelligent men of rich and wide experience.
“And new philosophy calls all in doubt
The elements of fire is quite put out
The sun is lost and Earth and no man’s wit can well direct him where to look for it”
(Donne: The first Anniversary)
(6) Abrupt openings
Metaphysical poetry has some dramatic elements. It is famous for its abrupt, personal openings. Further more, it is the poetry of the great age of drama. Donne uses the technique of dramatic monologue in songs and sonners the opening lines of most of the metaphysical poems are dramatic.
- For God’s sake hold your tongue and let me love.
(Donne: The Cononization)
- Give me more love or more disdain.
( Carew: Medeocrite in love rejected)