Characteristics of Metaphysical Poetry

What is a metaphysical poem? Metaphysical poetry is concerned with the whole experience of man, but the intelligence, learning and seriousness of the poets means that the poetry is about the profound areas of experience especially about love, romantic and sensual; about mans relationship with God the eternal perspective, and, to a less extent, about pleasure, learning and art. Metaphysical poems are lyric poems. They are brief but intense meditations, characterized by striking use of wit, irony and wordplay.Beneath the formal structure (of rhyme, metre and stanza) is the underlying (and often hardly less formal) structure of the poems argument. Note that there may be two (or more) kinds of argument in a poem. In To His Coy Mistress the explicit argument (Marvells request that the coy lady yield to his passion) is a stalking horse for the more serious argument about the transitoriness of pleasure. The outward levity conceals (barely) a deep seriousness of intent.You would be able to show how this theme of carpe diem (â€Å"seize the day†) is made clear in the third section of the poem. Characteristics of Metaphysical Poetry ?Startling comparisons or contrasts of a metaphysical (spiritual, transcendant, abstract) quality to a concrete (physical, tangible, sensible) object. In A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, Donne compares the love he shares with his wife to a compass. ?Mockery of sentimental romantic poetry ?Gross exaggeration (hyperbole) ?Presentation of a logical argument.Donne argues that he and his wife will remain together spiritually even though they are apart physically. Metaphysical Poetry The Flea + Sune Rising Metaphysical poets use startling juxtapositions in their poetry to create a greater significance in their arguments and intended meanings throughout the poem. John Donne is said to be the unsurpassed metaphysical poet, metaphysical poetry being poetry relating to a group of 17-century English poets whose verse is typified by an intellectually arduous style, admitting xtended metaphors and comparing very disparate things. In 17th century England new discoveries were being made and social customs such as men being the dominant over women still applied. Through Donnes poetry we can see that he is goaded and confused by the new discoveries and the social customs avert him from reaching his desires. This is incalculably recognized in his two poems, The Sunne Rising and The Flea where Donnes arguments challenge some beliefs of the 17th century England.Through The Sunne Rising we gain a sense of meaning that Donne is irritated and perplexed with new discoveries and that he believes his loveis everything in the whole world. In The Flea we can see Donne challenging the social costumes of the 17th century, such as chastity of women, his tremendous persistence to sexually unite with the woman and the overall dominance presented over the woman. In both of these poems Donne uses vividly striking differences in the argument to emphasize the overall meaning of the poem.These dramatic contrasts include conceit, binary opposition, imagery, specific words and the movement of the poem, which are additionally affirmed by poetic devices. The Sunne Rising implies that when a couple unearths perfect love together they become one, shaping a world of their own, which has no need for the outside world. He suggests that even the physical laws of the universe must defer to those persons caught up in the larger universe of infatuation. We also see Donne is going through a struggle of the old and new during the poem.In the Sunne Rising Donne uses a number of dramatic.. . Metaphysical Poetry Metaphysical poetry, a term coined by Samuel Johnson, has its roots in 17th-century England. This type of poetry is witty, ingenious, and highly philosophical. It topics included love, life and existence. It used literary elements of similes, metaphors, imagery, paradoxes, conceit, and far-fetched views of reality. John Donne is regarded as the â€Å"leading poet† of this highly intellectual form of poetry.Donne was influenced by the belief that the precision of beauty in the adored (loved one) behaved as a commemoration of ideal beauty in the everlasting kingdom (heaven). He also used unconventional and colloquial rhythm and tone, which was highly contrary to the Elizabethan poetry style. Metaphysical poets : The name given to a diverse group of 17th? century English poets whose work is notable for its ingenious use of intellectual and theological concepts in surprising conceits, strange paradoxes, and far? fetched imagery.The leading metaphysical poet was John Donne, whosecolloquial, argumentative abruptness of rhythm and tone distinguishes his style from the conventions of Elizabethan love? lyrics. Other poets to whom the label is applied include Andrew Marvell, Abraham Cowley, John Cleveland, and the predominantly religious poets George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, and Richard Crashaw. In the 20th century, T. S. Eliot and others revived their reputation, stressing their quality of wit, in the sense of intellectual strenuousness and flexibility rather than smart humour. The term metaphysical poetry usually refers to the works of these poets, but it can sometimes denote any poetry that discusses metaphysics, that is, the philosophy of knowledge and existence. John Donne, is remembered today as the leading exponent of a style of verse known as metaphysical poetry†. Metaphysical poetry typically employs unusual verse forms, complex figures of speech applied to elaborate and surprising metaphorical conceits, and learned themes discussed according to eccentric and