METAPHYSICAL POETRY

Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the natural world. It is the study of being and reality. It asks fundamental questions such as: “Is there a God?” and “What is man’s place in the universe?” This study also includes questions of space, time, causality, existence, and possibility.

*York Notes

Metaphysical poetry was a result of excitement of new scientific discoveries, “affecting how people saw themselves in relation to one another, to the world, the universe and God.”

Galileo’s telescope confirmed the earth was not the center of the universe

The known world was growingAmerican continent discovered 100 years before

Bitter divide in The ChurchBetween Roman Catholics (old religion) and Puritans (new religion) the “middle” were the Anglicans (Church of England)

Period of violence and civil strifeEnglish Revolution

Metaphysical poetry was written in the 17th century by British poets. These poets did not term themselves “metaphysical poets;” the name came much later as Samuel Johnson attempted to classify the type of poetry that came from this period.

Metaphysical PoetsJohn Donne

George Herbert

Henry Vaughan

Andrew Marvell

Wrote on divergent subjects and points of view

What is a metaphysical poem?Metaphysical poetry is concerned with the whole experience of man, but the intelligence, learning and seriousness of the poets means that the poetry is about the profound areas of experience especially about love, romantic and sensual; about man's relationship with God - the eternal perspective; and, to a less extent, about pleasure, learning and art.

Metaphysical poems are lyric poems.

They are brief but intense meditations, characterized by striking use of wit, irony and wordplay.

Beneath the formal structure (of rhyme, meter and stanza) is the underlying (and often hardly less formal) structure of the poem's argument.

Note that there may be two (or more) kinds of argument in a poem.

LOOKING AT THE POEMS’ ARGUMENTS

Looking at the poets' technique should, perhaps, begin with a consideration of argument.

In a way all of the poems have an argument, but it is interesting or striking in some more than others.

Conceit

A conceit is an extended, elaborate metaphor. An extended metaphor is a metaphor that carries on through the entirety of the poem.

Metaphysical ConceitA metaphysical conceit is a conceit where the objects of comparison have no apparent connection.

“the assertion that things apparently quite dissimilar are are alike” (York Notes)

The author of a metaphysical conceit sets out to prove the justness of an improbable comparison

For example, in George Herbert’s poem Praise, he compares God’s generosity to a bottle full of endless tears. Another example is John Donne’s poem The Flea.

IMAGERY

You can also consider the imagery used by the poets. Do NOT become bogged down in discussion of single images

Consider, rather, the whole range of sources of imagery each uses.

DONNE’S IMAGERYDonne is eclectic (not wide-ranging) and apparently obscure

He did not write for publication, but showed poems to friends whom he supposed to be well-read enough to understand these references

Donne's imagery draws on the new (in the late 16th century) learning of the English renaissance and on topical discoveries and exploration

We find references to alchemy (transformation of matter), sea-voyages, mythology and religion (among many other things).

Certain images or ideas recur so often as to seem typical

HERBERT’S IMAGERYHerbert's imagery, by way of contrast, draws on the everyday and familiar:

reason is like "a good huswife”spirit is measured in "drammes” (small quantity of alcohol)God's grace is a "silk twist”suffering is a harvest of thorns or blood-lettingParadise is a garden where winter never comes

It will be seen, however, that many of these images are found in Christ's teaching, while others (or the same ones) may have acquired religious connotations.

The reference to "thorn" and "bloud" in The Collar ironically seem to ignore the conventional religious symbolism of these terms.

JOHN DONNEBorn in London in 1572 to a prosperous Catholic family. Well educated.

Donne's father died suddenly in 1576, and left the three children to be raised by their mother, Elizabeth.

At the age of 11, Donne and his younger brother Henry were entered at Hart Hall, University of Oxford, where Donne studied for three years. He spent the next three years at the University of Cambridge, but took no degree at either university because he would not take the Oath of Supremacy* required at graduation

*swearing allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of England; renouncing faith

He was admitted to study law as a member of Thavies Inn (1591) and Lincoln’s Inn (1592)(big party school),

He wants in English society and governmentWants to get a job.

In 1593, Donne's brother Henry died of a fever in prison after being arrested for giving sanctuary to a proscribed Catholic priest.

Donne felt guilty about brother’s death

This made Donne begin to question his faith. His first book of poems, Satires, written during this period of residence in London, is considered one of Donne's most important literary efforts.

Although not immediately published, the volume had a fairly wide readership through private circulation of the manuscript. Same was the case with his love poems, Songs and Sonnets, assumed to be written at about the same time as the Satires.

Having inherited a considerable fortune (at age 21), young "Jack Donne" spent his money on womanizing, on books, at the theatre, and on travels.

In 1596, Donne became involved in naval expeditions in service to Sir Thomas Egerton, lord keeper of England

Upon his return to England in 1598, Donne was appointed private secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton and afterward Lord Ellesmere.

Donne was beginning a promising career. In 1601, Donne became MP (Member of Parliament) for Brackley, and sat in Queen Elizabeth’s last Parliament.

In the same year, he secretly married Lady Egerton's niece, seventeen-year-old Anne More, daughter of Sir George More, Lieutenant of the Tower, and effectively committed career suicide.

Sir George had Donne thrown in Fleet Prison for some weeks for clandestine affair.

Donne was dismissed from his post, and for the next decade had to struggle near poverty to support his growing family

Though Donne still had friends left, these were bitter years for a man who knew himself to be the intellectual superior of most, knew he could have risen to the highest posts, and yet found no preferment. 

It was not until 1609 that a reconciliation was effected between Donne and his father-in-law, and Sir George More was finally induced to pay his daughter's dowry.

In the intervening years, Donne practiced law, but they were lean years for the Donnes

What he wanted more than anything was to regain his social position

As Donne approached forty, he published two anti-Catholic polemics Pseudo-Martyr (1610) and Ignatius his Conclave (1611).

They were final public testimony of Donne's renunciation of the Catholic faith.

Donne had refused to take Anglican orders in 1607, but King James persisted, finally announcing that Donne would receive no post or preferment from the King, unless in the church.

In 1615, Donne reluctantly entered the ministry and was appointed a Royal Chaplain later that year.

Eventually elected dean of St. Paul’s

Donne's style, full of elaborate metaphors and religious symbolism, his flair for drama, his wide learning and his quick wit soon established him as one of the greatest preachers of the era.

Just as Donne's fortunes seemed to be improving, Anne Donne died, on 15 August, 1617, aged thirty-three, after giving birth to their twelfth child, a stillborn.

Struck by griefDonne continued to write poetry, notably his Holy Sonnets (1618), but the time for love songs was over.

Donne's private meditations, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, written while he was convalescing from a serious illness, were published in 1624. 

The most famous of these is undoubtedly Meditation 17, which includes the immortal lines "No man is an island" and "never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee." 

He also preached what was called his own funeral sermon, Death’s Duel, just a few weeks before he died in London on March 31, 1631.

The last thing Donne wrote just before his death was Hymme to God, my God, In my Sickeness.

John Donne

“The Flea” p. 967

“A Valediction: forbidding mourning” p. 678

Robert Browning

“My Last Duchess” p. 700

“My Ex- Husband” handout

Andrew Marvell

“To his Coy Mistress”