Metaphysical poetry

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         This blog is about charactristic of Metaphysical poetry and critical analysis of John Donne's poetry. This task given by Dr. Dilip barad sir, here is my answer:

                  # Metaphysical poetry #

         In the first half of 17th century, a group of poet's emerged. Who's poetry is known as "Metaphysical poetry". Since John Donne was the pioneer of this group, it is also  known as the school of Donne.

      The term " Metaphysical poetry" was coined by the critic Samuel Johnson . In his  Biographical work  The Lives , writing about " the life of Cowley" Dr. Johnson finds the following features in the Metaphysical poetry .

1. Charactristic Metaphysical poetry with explanation of a few Metaphysical poetry written by John Donne as well as any other Metaphysical poet.

• Characteristics and example:

•    Conscious attempt:

      Metaphysical poets made a conscious attempt to differ in the style of writing poetry from the former poets they were not willing to continue writing poetry in the same manner just like Shakespeare, Marlowe, spenser, Philip Sidney and others. They wanted to make their poetry look different from the former poets. It was a conscious attempt to part with the existing style of writing poetry and to cultivate a new style.

• Far fetched images: 

        Second characteristics of Metaphysical poetry is far fetched images. One of the major features of Metaphysical poetry. Metaphysical poet never tried to use and express their  images from that field with which the theme of their poetry was concerned. They tried to bring their images from those fields which had nothing to do with  the theme of their poetrys, so they are called far fetched images

      Metaphysical poet tried to bring their images from the branches and areas just like Agreeculture, Mechanical engineering, Architecture, Biology, Geometry and many other fields.

     John Donne , who had used many far fetched images for example his poem,
   
                          " The flea" 
In this poem Donne shows his love though insect flea :

" O stay, three lives in one flea spare,
 Where we almost , yea, more than married    are
 This flea is you and I  and this our
 married bed . And marriage temple is ".

                      " The Sun Rising"

     In this poem " The Sun Rising" which is an image of the field of Astronomy is utilised here  for the theme of love one  mare is which belongs to field of Chamistry - " alchemic"  had been used here  for  the expression of love . The lover wants to say the this he considered wealth nothing but a chamical a coin made of some liquid metal. It reflects Donne's knowledge about Chamistry. Poetry line is:

 " She's all states, and all princes I;
             Nothing else is ;
  Princes do but play us; compared to this,
  All honour's mimic , all wealth alchemy".

   George Herbert borrowed imaged from agreecAgreec and Mechanical engineering the best example are:
             -" The church porach" 
             - " The pully"

   Andrew Marwell used gomatrical and Agreeculture images  the best example is:

             -" To his coy Mistress"

• Samuel Johnson has one remarkable comments to passed on the poetry of the Metaphysicals. The comment is :

    " Their poetry stood trial of their finger but not of their ear"

 The  meaning is they remain successful in displaying their scholarship . But they failed in giving  rhythm and music to their poetry.

2.Write critical analysis of Metaphysical poetry of poets other than John Donne.

In English history many Metaphysical poet like that:

•   John Donne
• Andrew Marwell
• George Herbert
• Cowley

Critical analysis of John Donne's poems:

" Death be not proud"

        Death be not proud, though some have called thee 

Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe, 
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow, 
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee, 
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow, 
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe, 
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie. 
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men, 
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell, 
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well, 
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then? 
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally, 
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

by John Donne

       
       This poem is addressed to Death. Holy sonnet 10 '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 do nullify fear of death by  writing fourteen lines on death.

"The Dream":

    The poem ' The Dream' considered as poem of camparison between life and dream and life  in reality through this poem the poet wants to convey that life in reality  can never be so much interesting and joyful as life in dream and fantacy.
  
"Sweetest love I do not go"
     
  This poem is about death in love . The poet here wants to convey that those who love never die. Physical death is no death at all in love there can only on type of death in  love that is saparation. In first stanza of the poem he tries to assure that he is going away from her not because he  his tried of her or becsbec he has got a better campanion.

" The Ecstasy"
   
   This poem is about abstract experience of oneness  in sublime love. The poet here wants to explain significance of both body to soul and back to body the reading of this ppep maked it clear that John Donne must have gone through the Geeta because there is an overtone of the Geeta in the present poem.

    The poem is not about the physical discretion but material discretion in love. It is a poem about  spiritual discription in love . The lover and his beloved are together.

   In this poem the word ' pregnant' from Biological image,

Another word is 'cemented' from civil engineering image,

 Thank you!