Three Strange Love Poems
First, Poems for Midterm
For the Midterm you must read and be familiar
with:
• "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" p.
651-652
• "When I have fears that I may cease to be" p.
707
Remember…
You must bring all of the required items to the
midterm with you (textbook, print card or blue
book, journals, notes, dictionary, etc).
Metaphysical Poetry
• The Metaphysical Poets were active during the
17th century (the 1600's).
• They were, above all, concerned with
inventiveness and ingenuity of metaphor,
(remember our discussion of "wit" from last class)
and they fully explored the implications of saying
that two unlike things are the same.
• This tends to make the metaphors and similes in
metaphysical poetry very striking and unusual.
• John Donne and Andrew Marvell are two of the
most recognizable Metaphysical poets.
"To His Coy Mistress" p. 559-60
• What is the argument that this poem makes?
• How does the speaker contrast what he would
do if he had time and what he must do because
time is running out?
• What are some of the most startling images or
metaphors in this poem?
• Another poem in the same vein as "To His Coy
Mistress" is "To the Virgins, to Make Much of
Time" on p. 498
"The Flea" p. 690
• What is the argument that this poem makes?
(Yes, it is a strange one…)
• How does the poet use the death of the flea to
enhance that argument?
• How does this poem fit in with the definition
of “metaphysical” poetry we just learned?
"Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" p.
691-695
• How is this a "love song"?
• What is it that the speaker worries about?
• There is great debate over what question the
speaker was about to ask (line 10) before he
stops himself. What are some possibilities there?
• What are some of the images/metaphors in this
poem that are particularly interesting?
In-Class Writing #6: Write a love poem using as
many "disgusting" words as you can.
Possible word list:
• Acne
• Snail
• Mucus
• Rust
• Mold