Far fetched image in metaphysical poetry by John Donne

              Assignment

                 Paper : 1

      Renaissance literature  

• Name :  Ravina Parmar

• Roll no : 27

• SEM : M.A. sem- 1

• Batch year : (2019-2021)

• Email :ravinaparmar827@gmail.com

• Enrollment no : 2069108420200031

• Submitted to : Dr. Dilip barad sir

Smt. S. B. Gardi English Department Bhavnagar

Topic : What is the Metaphysical poetry ? John Donne and his poem with reference to far fetched images.

Preface :

   In the first half of the 17th century a group of poets emerged who's  poetry known as " The Metaphysical poetry". The word ' Metaphysical'  is given by Samuel Johnson. Those writer who written Metaphysical poetry that all known as School of Donne. And other poets who followed John Donne were

• George Herbert

• Richard Crashaw

• Abraham Cowley

• Andrew Marwell

• Robert Southerly

 These poet tried to follow the style of writing poetry which was initially cultivated by John Donne. Which way they write poetry and express himself in his poetry that thing is different from others.

So let's see what is the Metaphysical poetry.

• What is Metaphysical poetry :

      The word 'Metaphysical'  was first coined by the famous critic Samuel Johnson. His work  " Lives Of The Most Eminent  English Poets (1779-81) in which Samuel Johnson refers, the chapter on 'Abrahm Cowley'. In this chapter we see that in the beginning of the seventeenth century in which there " appeared a rare of writers that may be termed the Metaphysical poets". And also we can say that Dr. Johnson has tried to interpret the Metaphysical Poetry and it's features. And also he finds the following features in the Metaphysical Poetry Donne and his school.

       Definition by Merriam Webster dictionary:

" Metaphysical poetry is highly intellectualized Poetry marked by bold and ingenious conceits, incongruous imagery complexity and subtlety of thought, frequent use of paradox and often by deliberate harshness or rigidity of expression".

     In Metaphysical poetry poet used incongruous images. Metaphysical poet not used traditional metaphor and all the things  that were used by other poets. Metaphysical poets try to make different path of writing. They try to highlight the paradox and deliberate harshness or rigidity of  human expression.

   

•  Characteristics of Metaphysical poetry :

Here we look for some of the characteristics of Metaphysical poetry :

1. Conscious Attempt :

 The Metaphysical Poet who do not write in a spontaneous way  but that is the 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 Spenser, Shakespeare, Marlowe, Philip Sidney and others.  Metaphysical poet wanted to make their poetry look different from the former poets.We can say that it is a conscious attempt to part with the existing style of writing poetry and to cultivate a new style.

• Two Reasons :

Crites find tow reasons for their desire to differ from the former poets,

First Reason : first Reason is that they were fully aware of the fact that they would have been rejected had they continued writing poetry in the same way . The invention of the printing press helped a lot in expanding education and literacy. So there is a demand to have new kind of Poetry . And also there is a new type of poetry served by Metaphysical poet.

Second Reason : All the Metaphysical were literate and degree holders. They want to exhibit their scholarship and do their to differ from the from the former poets.

2. Far Fetched images and conceits : far fetched images and conceits is one more feature  of the Poetry. They 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 poems. So they are called Far Fetched images. They tried to bring their images from the branches and areas just like Agriculture, Metaphysical, engineering, Architecture, Biology, Geometry and many other fields. Which have nothing common with   theme of their poems. Such a practice draw attention of the readers and it made them established poets .

  George Herbert borrowed imaged from Architecture and Mechanical engineering the best example are : 

• "The church porch"

• " The pully "

Marwell made use of geometrical and agricultural images the best example is

•  " To his coy Mistress"

     Donne  made used of and almost all types of images in  his poems. This kind of practice and experiment for them in which they remained successful.

    

   Samuel Johnson has one remarkable comment to passed on the poetry of the Metaphysical the comment is " Their Poetry stood trial of their finger but not log their ear " the meaning behind s they remain successful in displaying their scholarship but they failed in giving rhythm and music to their poetry. 

   When Samuel Johnson used the word ' Metaphysical' it was in a negative sense, to criticize their poetry but with the passing of time the same term become a term of appraisal. Today their poetry is praised as the Metaphysical Poetry.

• Fetched images in John Donne's poetry :

   John Donne was pioneer of Metaphysical poetry, in his poetry we find that many Far Fetched images. First of all we have to know about list of poetry written by John Donne.

" The Sun Rising"

"Death be not proud" 

"Sweetest love"

" Ecstasy"

"Flea" 

"Dream "

    

     This are the famous poems by John Donne. One 

by one we discussed special reference with far fetched images. Many words and sentences showed far fetched images.

  So let's discuss the poem one by one with reference to far fetched images.

• " The Sun Rising "

   " The Sun Rising" is a well known  poem of 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 Metaphorical poetry. Because in this poem poet used many far fetched images like that in opening stanza the word Saucy pedantic wretch. This word through Donne wants to convince to dun that the season end climate of lover can not be governed by the sun. Lover who neither care for climate or nor seasons. In the second stanza the word eclipse and cloud (field of Astronomy) through he compares shine of his beloved and the shine of the sun . 

      The lover mentioned that the sun is not half so happy as he is in the company of his beloved.  He suggested 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 us powerful enough to blind the sun . In brief lover consider his beloved superior to the rising sun.

      The word ' wealth Alchemy' (field of Chemistry)  has been used here for the expression of lover the wants to say this he considered wealth nothing but a chemical a coin made of some liquid metal. It reflects Donne 's knowledge about Chemistry. One more Far Fetched image which we find in this poem is "mimic" it is an image belonging to the Field of performing art that has been employed here for the expression of love.

• " The Flea "

  The poem "Flea" is a remarkable example of John Donne's Metaphysical poetry. Donne has taken here help of a biological image of a flea to deal with the theme of love it is through this image of the flea an insect that the lover in the present poem expresses his love for s woman and tries to convince her note to refused his lover for her.

   Here we find that the poem's title itself showed the far fetched image like 'Flea'.  Even We not think about this subject also. In the first stanza of the poem is about the flea sucking his blood and then her blood through this act of a flea the lover tries to bring to his notice that bloods have become on in the wall's of this flying jet. How lover expresses his love with example of the small insect flea like the lover wants her to learn a lesson from the act of killing  that flea she killed it and yet both are very much alive and the same manner .

        If she accepts him and his proposal it would add to their joy and to her owner the basic argument of the lover is that no woman ever loses her owner , if she accepts genuine proposal. On the contrary it added to her honour the loss of the life of the flea has to teach a lesson to her and the lesson is that most of our fears are false. He doesn't find any sin and act of shame . If he has accepted by her the flea is just an example to convince.

•  "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 one type of death  that is separation. The poem addressed by a lover to his beloved in which his attempt is to convince his beloved not to be sad, because of his fast  approaching physical death.

   The lover gives an example of the sun an astronomical image  to convince his beloved that his going away and his absence will not be a far long time. In this poem love knows that she sighs and cry because  she has concern for him . He considered it , " unkindly kind " .

• "Death be not proud"

     This is a Holy sonnet- 10 that is addressed to death. Generally speaking, most of the people consider death mighty and dreadful but for poet death is nothing more than a transitory pause in the eternal life. The word poor  death that showed far fetched image. Poet think totally different like that  he can say that confidence that death has no courage or capacity to kill even him death is nothing more than permanent rest to bones and soul is delivered to a new body.

   The present poem has changed my perspective about death.

• " The Dream" :

     This poem is about the comparison between life in 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 fantasy.

 In which poet said that 'make me her medal'  this type of thing we read for the first time. When he has became a medal attached to her heart he does not experienced the same height of joy when his actually in her company. Sense of honour is become problematic.

  The line of Poetry is :

" When you are gone and Reason gone with you"

 In this line we find that poet's expression. Poet said that when his beloved with him then logic is there and reason and argument  is there but once she goes away he enjoyed full freedom of her thoughts and argument. In love dreams are better than reality.

• "The Ecstacy "

  The  'Ecstacy'  is a famous poem by John Donne. In this poem poet discuss abstract experience of oneness in sublime love. Here poet wants to explain the significance of both body and soul in love . Here the journey is from body to soul and body. When we read the poem then we realized that Donne must read the Indian holy book Geeta. In this poem we find that the overtone of the Geeta . 

" Where, like a pillow on a bad,

A pregnant bank swelled up to rest "

  In the first stanza the word pregnant (biological image). In which the poet said that the poem is not about the physical description and material description in love. It is a poem about spiritual description in love. The lover and his beloved  are together hand in hand on the river of the bank is overgrown- swollen with violet flowers the sweet smell of those flowers cement their hands.

   The very opening of the poem makes it a true Metaphysical poem. The image of 'pillow' , 'bad' and ' cement'  are the proof of it.

• To conclude :

    Thus, Metaphysical Poetry is the new form of literature in the 17th century. In this poem poet try to evaluate different ideas and new things for example and metaphor. They don't use any ordinary topic for his writing. They beautifully used far fetched images in his poem.