Paper 01 The metaphysical poetry

Assignment

The metaphysical poetry

Name : Urvashi chauhan

Class: semester 1

Roll no: 41

Paper:  1 (Renaissance literature)

Topic: metaphysical poetry

Enrolment no: PG

 Year: 2018/20

Email id: urvashichauhan157@gmail.com

Introduction

       The metaphysical word comes from a Greek word of metaphysics. The  metaphysical poetry occupies a unique place in the history of English poetry. Metaphorical poem is lyrical poem of 17^th century. The world “ meta” means beyond and “physics” means science of concrete thing so metaphysics means a subject that deals with things which do not have concrete shape.

      Metaphysical poetry is concerned with the whole experience if man but the intelligence learning and seriousness of poet. Means that the poetry about the profound area of experience about love , romantic and sensual . metaphysical means dealing with the relationship between sprit to matter or the ultimate to the nature of reality.

        DR . SAMUEL JOHNSON first time used the team “metaphysical poetry” for the poetry of John Donne and his followers . It is known as the school of JOHN DENNE because he was the pioneer who established new trend of writing poetry. It was not John Donne who named it as the metaphysical poetry. This title was given to the poetry of Donne and his school Johnson. It was in introduction to the life of Abraham Cowley that he used the team. “The metaphysical poetry” to signified poetry of Donne and his followers. When samuel Johnson used this team in negative sense . But with the passing of time. The same term become a team of appraisal for the poetry of Donne and his followers. Dr. Johnson mention that a group of poets appeared at the end of 17^th century. It was written in the post - Shakespearian era  during Milton and it continued up to the beginning to the restoration age.The poets  of  which made a counsious attempt to differ in there way of writing poetry from other posts. So basically this term metaphysical poetry has been evaluate by samual Johnson to identify the poetry if the school of Donne.

METAPHORICAL POET’S

The major POET’S

       • john Donne(1572-1631)

       • George Herbert(1593-1633)

       • Andrew marvell(1621-1678)

       • Abraham Cowley(1618-1667)

       • Richard crashaw(1613-1649)

       • Henry Vaughan (1622-1695)

       • Thomas Traherne(1636/37-1674)

       • saint robert southwell(1561-159(1559-1634)

About john Donne:

          John Donne , founder of metaphysical poetry.All conversation about metaphysical poetry must start with John Donne. He is considered as the Founder of metaphysical poetry and master of metaphysical conceit.

    John Donne was born in 1572 in London, England. John Donne was not only a poet but a lawyer, priest and satirist. His poetry reflect this diversity, and his works are just as religious as they are funny .Donne explored the idea of true religion. We can trace these questions back to his upbringing. Donne was born and raised a Roman Catholic when it was illegal to be Catholic in England. He lost many relatives to martyrdom they were either exiled or executed.

  Many literary critics describe Donne's style as incentive, strong, dramatic and sensual. The paradoxes of his life surely affected the paradoxes in his poetry. He was considered a womanizer, even though he was religious. He wrote as many erotic poems as he did secular ones . Even though his metaphysical poems were witty, they were cynical & ironic as well.

The Minor POET’S:-

      •Anne Bradstreet (1612 -1672)

      • Thomas Carew (159 1640)

      • George Chapman (1559-1640)

      • john hall (1627-1656)

      • Edward Herbert (15th 1648)

      • Richard Leigh (1649-1728)

      • Katherine philips (1632-1664)

      • Sir John Suckling (1609-1642)

 They all are  made one group group of writing something different. It is school of JOHN DENNE. They follow footsteps of Donne . Donne was the leader of that group. He is considered as the founder of metaphysical poetry and master of the metaphysical concert.

Theme of metaphysical poetry

·      Religion

·      Love (spiritual & physical)

·       Paradox

·      Death

·      Interconnected with humanity

·      Fidelity

*Conscious attempt

   

   All the metaphysical poets were the men of learning they were the degree of reputed universities England. They want to display them wit and learning through poetry.so they made a counsious attempt to write poetry in a scholarly. They wanted to differ from the former POET’S of Elizabethan age and jecobian age. They wanted to establish there unique identity. So they made extensive use of writing poetry in noted critic Helen. Metaphysical poets continued writing just like the Elizabethan POET’S, there poetry would have been rejected by the intellectual reader’s. So all the metaphysical POET’S made a counsious attempt to differ from other posts and write poetry in scholar way.

*Far fetched Images

 Far fetched images and conceits is one more characteristics of the metaphysical poetry. All the metaphysics were obsessed with far fetched images. They never tried to bring their image from the limited. They used images like ENGINEERING, AGRICAKTURE,A ARCHITECTURE, Geometry and many other fields. That poetry made up extensive use of far fetched images to deal with different themes in their poetry. It has become out standing feature of the metaphysical poetry.

            All the metaphysical poets contributed remarkably in the field of english poetry. John Donne is remember not only for his songs and sonnets but also Holly sonnets. George Herbert wrote the “Temple” Richard crashaw wrote “step to the Temple” Andrew marvell wrote “songs” and even Abraham Cowley contributed to the metaphysical poetry.

* Johan Donne’s poetry

·      The flea

·      “The Dream”

·      “The Atasy”

·      “Death be not proud”

·      “Sweetest love I do not go”

About poem

       “   The flea”

“The flea” by john Donne is remarkable example of metaphysical poetry. The expression theme of love. This poem is addressed  by lover. The lover wants to convince his beloved. He used image the filed of biology. The flea has first sucked her blood and now sucked his blood. So their two bloods have already become one. Beloved try to kill flea with her nails that time he says not to kill it. Because it would be the death of three lives. So poet use very unique example in this poem.

“Death be not proud”

    Death be not proud is at 10^th HOLY SONNET by john Donne. He tried to nullify. The fear of death the present sonnet. The poem is addressed by the poet. To death itself. The poet death not to be proud because death has nothing with it be proud of course some people described as very powerful and dangerous but in reality death is neither powerful nor dangerous. The poet mentions that death has no capacity to kill him. If the poet has to draw a picture of a death . He will draw the picture of a person enjoying rest and sleep. That means death gives rest us. So we have to drive picture out of it and not pain.

  The poet mentions that even the best of people have gone with a death the soonest. So there is no reason for anybody tone afraid of death . The poets considers death a slave of fate, chance, king and people in men in distress .When fate or chance besides to kill someone, death has to come. When king declare death penalty, death has to come. When men in distress decide to kill himself, death has to come. This is how death is a slave of four elements.

    According to the poet there are three dwelling places of death . They are poison, war and sickness. Death is bound to be there . Where these three elements are present. The poet is of the opinion that mother’s charm causes sleep to us in a better way. Then the way death causes sleep simply with one stroke. So there is no need for death to be proud. If death is accepted in this manner then death would be  no more death itself would die.

Conclusion:

       John Donne is one of the most  genius and versatile English poets. He is admired for his colossal contribution in metaphysical poetry. In his numerous writing he has added lost of  witty approaches full of satire, passionate feelings, striking conceits etc. To highlight the nature and reality revolving around human lives. The new era of writing in the form of metaphysical poetry starkly attached the readers though ages although many eminent writers like Dryden, Dr. Johnson strongly discarded his writing on the plea that Donne unnecessarily used  metaphysical aspects to perplex the natural phenomena of love, sex etc. Although Andrew Marvell, Henry Vaughan, George Herbert and others have evinced their astuteness and sharpness in representing common subject matters like love, religion etc. With a new-fangled approach, John Donne shines amongst them like a luminous star for his stunning and unrivalled genius in rationalizing his daring imagination. It is Donne Who blows the trumpet of charge in the clichéd pattern of poetry, teeming with emotion, by inauguration ‘ intellectualized poetry’- the metaphysical poetry. At the same time, scarcely can one deny how Donne’s immense contribution to his domain of poetry facilities and felicitates the meteoric rise and development of metaphysical poetry. Irrespective of time and age, John Donne is highly appraised all over the globe for his fantastic intellectual aptitude in describing the varied states of emotion and action of human beings.  

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