Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the natural world
Metaphysical poetry was written in the 17th century by British poets. These poets
did not term themselves “metaphysical poets,” the name came much later as Samuel
Johnson attempted to classify the type of poetry that came from this period. This is
exclusive to British poets. Not going to find Italian metaphysical poets. Most of the
poetry written during this time period was not written for public consumption.
They wrote it and shared with those close to them.
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 man’s relationship with God – the eternal perspective, and, to a less extent,
about pleasure, learning and art. They don’t just want to have the experience
(hedonistic), they are not interested in the feeling of the experience, and they are
interested in what they get out of the experience. They would write entire poems
about what the act gives you, philosophically. Communion of souls.
John Donne is an important metaphysical poet. Always wrote about GOD.
Poets:
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Concerned with the whole experience of man
Poetry is about the profound areas of experience
Especially – about love, romantic and sensual
About man’s relationship with God
The eternal perspective
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 poem’s argument
Note that there may be two (or more) kinds of arguments in a poem
Often short (generally between 12 and 15)
FORMAL FORMAT
o More stylized
o Constant number of syllables and rhyme scheme
Always an argument being carried out
o If it asks questions about our possible existence, it often gives some
kind of possible answer
o MUST IDENTIFY AN ARGUMENT
Conceit
 A conceit is an extended, elaborate metaphor. An extended metaphor is a
metaphor that carries on through the entirety of the poem
 A metaphysical metaphor compares thing a with something completely
different from it
Metaphysical Conceit
 A metaphysical conceit is a conceit where the objects of comparison have no
apparent connection. For example, in George Herbert’s poem Praise, he
compares God’s generosity to a bottle full of endless tears. Another example
is John Donne’s poem The Flea.
Imagery
 You can also consider the imagery used by the poets. DO NOT become bogged
down in discussion of single images
 Consider, rather, the whole range of sources of imagery each uses.
Donne’s Imagery
 Donne is eclectic (not wide-ranging) and apparently obscure
 We find references to alchemy, sea-voyages, mythology and religion (among
many other things).
 Certain images or ideas recur so often as to seem typical
 Kingship and rule; subjectivism (“one little room an everywhere” “nothing
else is”); alchemy – especially the mystical beliefs associated with elixir and
quintessence – and cosmology, both ancient and modern (references both to
spheres and to the world of “sea-discoverers”).
Words to look up:
Hedonism
Disparate
People to look up:
John Donne
George Herbert