Topic:- Characteristics of Metaphysical poetry

Kishan HariyaniRoll no.:21

Semester :- M.A. Sem.1

Year :- 2015- 16

Submitted to

Smt. S.B. Gardi Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar.

What is metaphysical poetry ?

A group of poets emerged in the beginning of the seventeenth century, whose poetry come to be known as the metaphysical poetry.

Metaphysical :- literally ‘meta’ means beyond and ‘physic’ means physical nature.

A word metaphysical first time used by Dr. Johnson in “ The lives of poet ”

John Donne :- ( 1572- 1631)

George Herbert :- (1593-1633)

Andrew Marvell :- (1621-1678)

Abraham Cowley :- (1618-1667)

John Hall:- (1627-1656 )

Metaphysical school

Characteristics of poetry highlighted by Dr.Johnson

Conscious Attempt: All the metaphysical poet made a conscious attempt differ from the poetry of former poets and they try to differ both in the matter and the manner of writing poetry.

Display of scholarship:All the Metaphysical poets tried to display there scholarship through there poems they were university graduates and men of learning

Far Fetched images

“ Images taken from field of knowledge, science, agriculture, geography, history, astronomy, chemistry ,engineering, geometry, mathematics, biology, medical etc. ”

The Flea is an ideal example of the metaphysical by Donne .

For example.Mark but this flea, and mark in this

How little that , which thou deniest me isIt sucke’d me first, and now sucks thee

And in this flea our two blood mingled be.”For example. Is taken from the field of Biology to expression of love . The Flea is a small insect with sucks blood from human

body this insect used here as a theme for the expression of love

Dr. Samuel Johnson criticize by saying that ” their poetry stands a trial of their finger but not of the earDecline:-

With the restoration Charles || in 1660 metaphysical school declined as theatres were opened back.

Thank you

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