john donne as a metaphysical poet

BRITISH POETRY - TERM PAPER

NAME- SURBHI HANDA

CLASS- M.A.1

ROLL NO.- 6222

SUBMITTED TO - MS.PARAMPREET





JOHN DONNE AS A METAPHYSICAL POET

John Donne was an English poet of the early seventeenth century. He is
considered the pre-eminent representative of the metaphysical poets..
Donne's style is characterised by abrupt openings and various paradoxes,
ironies and dislocations.He is particularly famous for his mastery of
metaphysical conceits.[2]


The metaphysical poets is a term coined by the poet and critic Samuel
Johnson to describe a loose group of English lyric poets of the 17th
century, whose work was characterized by the inventive use of conceits, and
by speculation about topics such as love or religion.In the chapter on
Abraham Cowley in his book Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets , Samuel
Johnson refers to the beginning of the seventeenth century in which there
"appeared a race of writers that may be termed the metaphysical poets"
which included John Donne, George Herbert, Richard Crashaw, Andrew Marvell
and Henry Vaughan.The term 'metaphysical 'means pertaining to abstract
thoughts and subjects .as 'meta' means beyond,thus, the literal translation
of metaphysical is beyond physical.Basically, metaphysics deals with
questions that can't be explained by science. Some common metaphysical
questions are : Does God exist?Is there a difference between the way things
appear to us and the way they really are? Essentially, what is the
difference between reality and perception? Etc.

The group of metaphysical poets that we mentioned earlier is obviously not
the only poets or philosophers or writers that deal with metaphysical
questions. There are other more specific characteristics that prompted
Johnson to place the 17th-century poets together.Perhaps the most common
characteristic is that metaphysical poetry contained large doses of wit. In
fact, although the poets were examining serious questions about the
existence of God or whether a human could possibly perceive the world, the
poets were sure to ponder those questions with humor.

Metaphysical poetry also sought to shock the reader and wake him or her up
from his or her normal existence in order to question the unquestionable.
The poetry often mixed ordinary speech with paradoxes and puns. The results
were strange, comparing unlikely things, such as lovers to a compass or the
soul to a drop of dew. These weird comparisons were called
conceits.Metaphysical poetry also explored a few common themes. They all
had a religious sentiment. In addition, many of the poems explored the
theme of carpe diem (seize the day) and investigated the humanity of life.

C.S LEWIS asserts:

"Metaphysics in poetry is the fruit of Renaissance tree,becoming

over-ripe and approaching putrescence"

Elizabethan poetry inspite of its popularity suffered from inherent
weaknesses.It was artificial and conventional.Donne led the revolt against
Elizabethan poets.Donne wrote in a diction and meter modeled on rough give
and take of actual speech,a.The beginnings of Donne's poems illustrate the
shock tactic,the dramatic form of direct address, as portrayed in his
poem,The Canonization where he rebukes his friend for dissuading him from
making love to his beloved:



For God's sake hold your tongue and let me love.

Or chide my palsy,or my gout,



Batter my heart,Three- personed God also abruptly begins with the poet's
request to hammer his heart and give it a new shape.



Batter my heart,three-personed God;for you

As yet but knock,breathe,shine,and seek to mend;



A prominent feature of metaphysical verse is indulgence in "dissimilar
images. A comparison is often instituted between objects that have little
in common with each other.For instance,in THE GOOD MORROW, Donne compares
two lovers to the two geographical hemispheres.



And true plain hearts do in the faces rest,

Where can we find two better hemispheres

Without sharp north,without declining west?



The metaphysical poetry is replete with such far fetched images
(conceits) and allusions and paradoxes as in BATTER MY HEART,THREE
-PERSONED GOD :



That I may rise,and stand,o'erthrow me,and bend

Your force,to break,blow,burn and make me new



It is a paradoxical statement where the poet asks the God to use violent
and harsh methods for his re-shaping like over throwing and pulling him
down so that he may stand up,reformed and purified.

The metaphysical poetry finds it origin in two broad divisions of amorous
and religious verse.The metaphysical element,perhaps,first made its
appearance in love poems,following the example of Italian writers,whom
Donne seem to have adopted as his models.The Cannonization where he speaks
so vehemently in defence of his love to people who discourage him that his
love does not cause harm or damage to anyone.





Alas, alas,who's injured by my love?

What merchant ships have my sighs drowned?

Who says my tears have overflowed his ground?



The use of hyperbole in the above lines which is another significant
feature of metaphysical poetry is praiseworthy.Donne's divine poems are
marked by an intense feeling of piety, SATIRE:OF RELIGION signifies Donne's
sincere search for a a faith or religion which will satisfy the inner
cravings and anarchies:



Seek true religion.O where?







Owing to the extravagant use of metaphors,pun and paradoxes,T.S. ELIOT
remarks that "In the task of trying to find a verbal equivalent for states
of mind and feeling", the metaphysicals made themselves difficult to
understand.But despite of various such criticisms PROF.RANSOM,an eminent
critic of today meditating at the nature of true poetry ,has indicated that
metaphysical poetry alone is true poetry.In his treatise,he concedes pure
physical poetry is impossibility aiming at 'thinginess' and also 'Platonic
poetry' is a false poetry dealing with ideals and ideas alone.He prefers
metaphysical poetry not because it represents the middle way between the
two but because it produces a beautiful blend of the two.