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Assignment
Name
: Pina Gondaliya
Sem
: 1
Roll
No : 25
Enrollment
No : 2069108420200012
Paper
No : 3 Literay Criticism and Theory
Submitted
To : Dilip Barad sir department of english
What
is Metaphysical poetry? Discuss John Donne as Metaphysical poet. And
illustrate his poems.
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What is Metaphysical Poetry?
First
of all the term “Metaphysical
Poetry” refers
to a specific period of time and a specific set of poets. What
is Metaphysical poetry? Actually the answer lies in the composition
of these pieces. The common thread is that they contain metaphors
that are highly conceptual in nature. These metaphores are often
tenuous, at best, in their comparisons of one thing to another, but
they can leave the reaer feeling enlightened. This type of mataphore
is known as a Metaphysical conceit. The way to tell a metaphysical
conceit from a regular metaphore is that they often exhibit an
analytical tone, contain double meanings, show logical reasoning, and
have paradoxes,
symbolism, and wit. While one or two of thes elements might be
missing from any given piece, there should be the majority of them
present.
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 word. Metaphysical poetry began early in the
Jacobean
Age
in the last stage of the age of shakespeare.
In the first half of the 17th century,a group of poets emerged who'es poetry is known as "THE METAPHYSICAL POETRY". Since John Donne was the pioneer of this group ,it is also known as THE SCHOOL OF JOHN DONNE .The other poet who followed footstep of John Donne were George Herbert , Andrew Marvell and Abraham Cowley and Robert Herrick .These poet try to followed the style of writing poetry which was initially cultivated by John Donne.
In the first half of the 17th century,a group of poets emerged who'es poetry is known as "THE METAPHYSICAL POETRY". Since John Donne was the pioneer of this group ,it is also known as THE SCHOOL OF JOHN DONNE .The other poet who followed footstep of John Donne were George Herbert , Andrew Marvell and Abraham Cowley and Robert Herrick .These poet try to followed the style of writing poetry which was initially cultivated by John Donne.
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Characteristic of Metaphysical poetry :
Caracteristic
of Metaphysical poetry :
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The
metaphysical poetry has been extensively commented upon by Dr. Samuel
Johnson . In his biographical work"THE
LIVES"while
writing about the life of couly .Dr. Johnson try to interpret The
Metaphysical poetry and it's features.Jonson find's following feature
in the metaphysical poetry of Donne and his school.
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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 whiling
to continuous writing poetry in a same manner just like
Shakespeare,Spencer,Philip Sydney,Christopher Marlowe and others.They
wanted to make their poetry look different from the former poet.It
was the conscious attempts to part with the exciting style writing
poetry and to cultivate a new style.
critics
find two reasons for then desire to differ from the former poet. The
first reason is that they were fully aware of the fact that they
would have been rejected had they continuous writing poetry in the
same way. The invention of printing press help a lot in expanding
education and literacy so people were also retrait and it was then
demand to have new kind of poetry.This demand of the people for a new
type of poetry was served by metaphysical poetry.
All
the metaphysical were literate and degree holder they wanted to
exhibit then learning and scholarships and so they tried to differ
from the former poets.
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Far Fetched Image :
Far
fetched images and conciets is one more feature of the metaphysical
poetry. They never tried to use and express their images from that
field with which the theme of the poetry was concerned.They tried to
bring there images from those field which have nothing to do with the
theme of there poems so they are called far fetched images.
In
tried to bring there images from the branches and areas just like
agriculture mechanical engineering , architecture ,biology Geometry
and many other field which have nothing common with the theme of
there poems.Such a practice drew attention of the readers and it made
them establish poets Herbert borrowed image from architecture and
mechanical engineering . The best example are "The
church porch" and
"The
Pulley" marvell
made use of Geometrical and agricultural images.The best example is
"To
His Coy Mistress" Donne
made use almost all type of images in his poetry.This kind of
practice was and experiment for them in which they successfully.
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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 are is given a dramatic starting -
"For God' sake
hold your tongue , and let me love".
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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 principle 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 example ,
"As
'twixt two equal armies, Fate
Suspends
uncertain victorie,
Our
souls,(which to advance their state,
Were
gone out,)hung 'twixt her and me".
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Wit is another characteristic of metaphysical poetry. So, here we find various allusion 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 Ecstacy", 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:"
In the same poem,
the Ptolemaic system of astrology is also used when he says -
"...We
are
The
intelligence, they the sphere."
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Usage of satire and irony is another characteristic of metaphysical poetry . Donne also uses this in his poems.For example, in "Canonization", there is subtle irony as he speaks of the favoured pursuits of people - the lust for wealth and favours.
"Take
you a course, get you a place,
Observe
his honour, or his Grace".
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Platonic Love :
Platonic
love is one of the characteristic of metaphysical poetry. We can say
that Plantonic love means, spiritual love, which is free from
elements of physical love.
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Originality :
All
the metaphysical poets has original and unique in their thoughts and
idea. They stood against their contemporary poets. They followed
their own way of wrinting poetry instead follows path of their
contemporary poets.
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Metaphysical Poets :
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John Donne As Metaphysical Poets :
John
Donne was the most original and the Father of the Metaphysical School
of poetry . His poetry is revolutionary. His style is original.His
images are personal. He replaces passion, sentiment and sensuality
with wit, elegance and realistic tone. He also used hyperboles.
Donne's
poems can be divided into three groups-
#
Love Poems#
#Divine
Sonnet#
#Satires#
In
satires, Donne is highly witty and in love poems highly realistic.
The first point which strikes a reader reading his love poetry is
surprising directness of the speaking voice and diction;
"For
God's sake hold your tongue and me love"
His
love poetry is highly dramatic and it seems he is talking to his
beloved and is never sentimental. His poet "The Sun Rising
"is a highly colloquial in tone and dramatic in
presentation. Similarly in "Sweetest Love I Do Not Go For
Wearing Of Thee" has originality which comes out in the
careful subtlety of the poem's argument.He was a conscious artist and
avoids conventions,fluency of movement and courtliness of diction.
“ In
ornament way we can say that he is the man who established his poetic
style and that’s for he called as “Metaphysical poet”.
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John Donne’s Poems :
John Donne was well known for
his Metaphysical poetry;
| Metaphysical poetry by John Donne |
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Let us discuss John
Donne’s Metaphysical poetry .
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“The Sun Rising”
The
Sun rising is a well known poem of John Donne it
is addressed 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
open with the, lovers rebuke to the rising sun. The rising sun peeps
into the badroom of this lover through windows and curtains the lover
doesn’t like it . He want to convince the sun that the seasons and
climate of lovers can not be governed by the sun. Lovers care for
neither season not climate. The lover in this poem belives that all
units of time just
likemoments,minute,hours,day,month
and years are nothing but the rags of time. A true lover never cares
for such rags of time. The lover advisese the rising sun to go away
and show his command on let school boys,workers,officers of the court
and farm laboures his command with work on this people but not on
lovers. The word of lovers is completly different and it has nothing
to do with the rising of the sun.
In the next stanza of the poem
the lovers compars shine of the eys office beloved and the shine of
the sun the lover maintions that the sun is not half so happy as he
is in the compny of his belovd. 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’s eyes is powerful enough to blind the sun. In
brife the lover considers his beloved superior to the rising sun.
The thired and the concluding
stanza of the poem is a comparision between the political empire of
king and the empire of love. He is of the opinion that he himself is
the king and his beloved is his empire. John Donne has made
remarkable use of Far Fatched images in his presents poem “The
rising sun”.
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Sweetest Love , I Do Not Go #
"Sweetest Love I Do Not Go "analysis shows that it is from the collection of "Love Poem"of John Donne .In this poem, he is addressing to his wife Anne Moore. The theme of the poem is parting; therefor, the poet consoles his wife. Poet was departing for Europe in 1611. This poem is an expression of those feeling, which he has experienced when he wan away from his wife. Donne was gravely in love with her. It seems that she is unable to differentiate between parting and death. Death is also a kind of parting from near and dear ones;therefor,the situation of departing is also not different from death. However, the poet consoles his wife while saying that she should not become tearful and should face this situation.
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Death , be not proud (Holy sonnet) :
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 to nullify fear of death by writing fourteen lines on death.
Generally
speaking most of the people considerd death mighty and dengerous,
frighting and very painful experience of life but the poet reacts all
together in a diffrent way tp death. In the very opening the poet
clearifys that death is neither,mighty nor dreadful. Death itself may
think that it ends life of the people but in reality those people do
not die death can never end eternal life of people .The poet
considers death nothing more than a transitory pause in the eternal
life. He belives that death is nothing more than rest and sleeps. If
the poet has to broak picture of the death, he would to draw the
picture of a person enjoying sounds sleep and rest that means death
offers sleep and rest to mankind so it great pleasure should be
derived from death .
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To be concluding :
we can
say that in love there is , “ silence better than words” the pure
love that no one can destroy and the immortally going way to their
love at first sight it’s always be there like forever. At present,
including all the details, fact and examples the idea is clear of
metaphysical poetry, “Donne is almost undisputed, the
quintessential metaphysical poet. If none other is read, Donne is
generally recommended for a reader to get a good idea of what
metaphysical poetry is all about”.
