Poetry Donne’s Metaphysical Work - 1180 Words

Donne is Innocent As William Wordsworth so rightly said, â€Å"Poetry is the first and last of all knowledge-it is as immortal as the heart of man†. Its themes are the simplest experiences of life: sorrow and joy, love and hate, peace and war. Yet they are equally the boldest formations, the most complex classifications and studies of reason if the poet is able to carry sensation into these poems, forming them into passionate experiences through vivid and moving imagery. For uncertain or inexperienced readers not prepared for understatement and subtleties, Donne’s poetry acts as a vivid recruiting device. Such readers need to be grabbed by the shoulders and shaken by the strenuousness of Donne’s metaphysical conceits in order to truly delight†¦show more content†¦Regardless of one’s personal beliefs, a poet of Donne’s intensity can teach readers and make them feel hints of what it would be like to occupy so paradoxical a faith. Though Samuel Johnson described Donne’s metaphysical work as â€Å"A kind of discordia concors; a combination of dissimilar images, or discovery of occult resemblances in things apparently unlike† causing a shock to the reader by the strangeness of the objects compared, T.S. Eliot argued such work fuses reason with passion; it shows a unification of thought and feeling which later becomes separated into a ‘dissociation of sensibility’. Looking into metaphysical poetry’s history, one can see that a ‘Metaphysical strand’ had run through the Medieval love poetry of which the Elizabethan sonnets are descended from, achieving its greatest development in the poems of Dante and his school. It was then forced under the rhetoric and subtleties of expression instead of thought in Petrarch and lost itself in the pseudo-metaphysical indulgences of poets like Serafino. Donne was not a conscious reviver of Dante’s metaphysics. Rather, in respon se to the popular fashion in Europe of forming elaborate conceits and hyperboles, he presented not only a sharp mind but a large reserve of the same scholastic education and Catholic theology that directed Dante’s thought, already creating tension with the new discoveries of his age. The results are shocking andShow MoreRelatedThe word Wit has multiple definitions, most of which metaphysical poets use in their distinctive1400 Words   |  6 Pagesdefinitions, most of which metaphysical poets use in their distinctive poetic style. Definitions for wit include: â€Å"the keen perception and cleverly apt expression of those connections between ideas that awaken amusement and pleasure† (Dictionary.com 2014) and â€Å"understanding, intelligence, or sagacity, astuteness† (Dictionary.com 2014). In this paper I will unpack the main features of metaphysical poetry and explore the relevance of wit and conceit in relation to John Donne’s works. Furthermore, I willRead MoreMetaphysical Poetry By John Donne1590 Words   |  7 PagesFeras Mohammed Awaga Grade 11 B Metaphysical Poetry According to English language, when metaphysical is divided into two words ‘meta’ is defined as after and physical remains as it is. Thus metaphysical means after the physical. The definition above was according to English language, however according to poetry is†¦. Many poets got involved in metaphysical poetry like: Samuel Johnson who wrote his book which is known as ‘’Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets’’, Henry Vaughan, Andrew Marvel, RichardRead MoreMetaphysical Poetry of John Donne1441 Words   |  6 Pagesof John Donne’s metaphysical poetry includes analysis of Donne’s use of topic, structure, scansion, style and theme. John Donne is known as one of the best writers of metaphysical poetry, a genre of poetry that is characterized specifically by themes of knowledge, intellect, and having a somewhat unrecognizable meter or rhyme. Metaphysical poetry forsakes pure and genial nature of other Elizabethan poets. Paradox , juxtaposition, and philosophy are few of many recurring ideas of metaphysical poems.Read MoreJohn Donne: An Influential English Poet957 Words   |  4 Pagesimpacted the writing field through his works. In the first half of 1572 (actual date is unknown) he was born in London to John Donne, a merchant, and Elizabeth Heywood Donne, the daughter of the poet and playwright John Heywood. His father died when Donne was about four years old. His younger brother, Henry, also died in John Donne’s early life. John Donne was raised in a Catholic family. Both of his parents were devout Roman Catholics. During Donne’s early adult life he converted to AnglicanismRead MoreCritical Appreciation Of T. S. Eliot s The Metaphysical Poets1382 Words   |  6 Pagesof T. S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Metaphysical Poets† T. S. Eliot’s essay â€Å"The Metaphysical Poets† was first published in The Times literary Supplement, 1031 (1921) and reprinted in Homage to John Dryden  (1924) and Selected Essays  (1932). It was published as a review of J.C. Grierson’s Edition of Metaphysical Lyrics and Poems of the 17th  Century.  The essay possesses a high critical value and significance. Eliot begins the essay by praising Grierson’s scholarly edition of Metaphysical lyrics and Poems of theRead MoreMetaphysical Poetry1246 Words   |  5 PagesMetaphysical Poetry: Much More Than Wit The two main views of metaphysical poetry, as composed by poets A.E. Housman and T.S. Eliot, are vastly different. Eliot’s view of metaphysical poetry is a very positive and respectful one. He admires the uniqueness of the metaphysical poets when he describes them as â€Å"reflective poets† as opposed to merely intellectual ones. Eliot says they have the ability to â€Å"feel their thought as immediately as the odor of a rose,† compared to the strictly thought-drivenRead MoreComparative Study of Texts - Module a (Hsc) - W; T and John Donne1365 Words   |  6 PagesDespite the differences in context, a comparative study of the poetry of John Donne and Margaret Edson’s play, ‘W;t’, is essential for a more complete understanding of the values and ideas presented in ‘W;t’. Discuss this with close reference to both texts. When deconstructing the text ‘W;t’, by Margaret Edson, a comparative study of the poetry of John Donne is necessary for a better conceptual understanding of the values and ideas presented in Edson’s ‘W;t’. Through this comparative studyRead MoreTHE MAIN FEATURES OF THE METAPHYSICAL POETRY ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN DONNE1637 Words   |  7 PagesFEATURES OF THE METAPHYSICAL POETRY ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN DONNE The term metaphysical poetry is used to describe a certain type of 17th century poetry. Metaphysical poetry is concerned with the whole experience of man. It means that the poetry is about showing knowledge and thoughts from different areas of experience, especially about love, romantic and sensual; about mans relationship with God and about pleasure, learning and art. Metaphysical poems are lyricRead MoreWriting At The University Of Sydney1506 Words   |  7 Pageslisteners to this week’s podcast of The Poet’s Voice, where we like to believe that poetry is language at its most distilled and powerful. I am your weekly host, Judy Robinson and this week, we are joined by the distinguished Professor Brianne Dwyer, who is currently lecturing Creative Writing at the University of Sydney. In today’s segment, guest Brianne Dwyer will be focusing on the influential and prodigious metaphysical poetry movement, most potent in the 15th to 16th Centuries. Thank you for that kindRead MoreJohn Donne Love Poetry1442 Words   |  6 Pageslies is that, in poetry, all facts and all beliefs cease to be true or false and become interesting possibilities†¦It may not, perhaps, be absolutely necessary that he believe it, but it is certainly necessary that his emotions be deeply involved, and this they can never be unless, as a man, he takes it more seriously than as a mere poetic convenience.† It is Donne’s sensibility and his personal experiences which are revealed with a vibrancy of language in his love and religious poetry that make him