1

Subject: ENGLISH Class: B.A. Part 1 Honours, Paper – 1,Group B Topic: The Metaphysical Poetry

By: Prof. Sunita Sinha Head, Department of English Women’s College Samastipur L.N.M.U., Darbhanga

THE METAPHYSICAL POETRY

INTRODUCTION

The term "Metaphysical Poet" was first coined by the literary critic and poet, Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) in his book Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets (1179-1781) to describe a loose group of 17th-century English poets whose work was characterized by the inventive use of conceits, and by a greater emphasis on the spoken rather than lyrical quality of their verse. These poets were- John Donne, George Herbert, Richard Crashaw, Andrew Marvell and Henry Vaughan Dr. Johnson's assessment of 'metaphysical poetry' was not at all flattering. He spoke about them in a derogatory manner: “The metaphysical poets were men of learning, and, to show their learning was their whole endeavor… The most heterogeneous ideas are yoked by violence together; nature and art are ransacked for illustrations, comparisons, and allusions; their learning instructs, and their subtilty surprises; but the reader commonly thinks his improvement dearly bought, and, though he sometimes admires, is seldom pleased.” Metaphysical poetry represents a sharp break with the conventional poetry of the Elizabethan period. Most of the Elizabethan verses are decorative and flowery in their quality. But metaphysical poetry has been differentiated from the other kinds 2 by its peculiar “Metaphysical Conceits.” The highly intellectualized poetry of the Metaphysical poets was not appreciated in the 18th and 19th centuries by the Romantics who gave more importance to Emotion than to Reason/Intellect. However, at the end of the 19th century and towards the beginning of the 20th century, interest in this group started growing. It was with T.S. Eliot's famous essay "The Metaphysical Poets" which suddenly heightened the interest towards mid twentieth century. The metaphysical school of poetry led by John Donne, the father of metaphysical poetry is a supreme moment in the history of English literature, and continues to enthrall the poetry lovers till now.

CHARACTERISTICS OF METAPHYSICAL POETRY: The metaphysical poems have been written following some chief characteristics mentioned below: -

1. Metaphysical poetry is marked by bold and ingenious conceits, puns and metaphor. 2. They draw forced comparisons between apparently dissimilar ideas or things. 3. Metaphysical Poets made use of everyday speech, intellectual analysis, and unique imagery. 4. The exaltation of wit, which in the 17th century meant a nimbleness of thought was used by these poets. 5. Often poems are presented in the form of an argument. 6. In love poetry, the metaphysical poets often draw on ideas from Renaissance Neo-Platonism to show the relationship between the soul and body and the union of lovers' souls. 7. They also try to show a psychological realism when describing the tensions of love. 8. These poems are full of Obscurity-which means confusion and haziness for common readers. 9. Free from former artificial styles and free from poetic diction or conventions. 10. Use of fantastic conceits and hyperboles which was the fashion throughout Europe. 3

MAJOR METAPHYSICAL POETS:

JOHN DONNE [1572 – 1631]

GEORGE HERBERT [1593 –1633]

RICHARD CRASHAW [1613-1649] 4

ABRAHAM COWLEY [1618-1667]

ANDREW MARVELL [1621 –1678)

HENRY VAUGHAN [1621 – 1695] 5

JOHN DONNE [1572 – 1631]

John Donne is regarded as both the pioneer and the chief spokesperson of metaphysical poetry. One of the most genius and versatile English poets, Donne had a prosperous literary life, garnished with numerous love poems, songs, sonnets, elegies, satires, sermons, religious verse and treatises. In his numerous writings he has added lots of witty approaches full of satire, passionate feelings, striking conceits etc. to highlight the nature and reality revolving around human lives. By his glorious poems, Donne helped the readers to taste the metaphysical flavour of his poetic expressions. In his major love lyrics like The Sun Rising, The Canonization, The Good Morrow, The Anniversary, A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, The Ecstasy, Lovers’ Infiniteness, The Flea, The Indifferent, A Nocturnal Upon St. Lucy‘s Day, A Valediction: Of Weeping, The Undertaking, The Relic, The Apparition, Love‘s Growth, The Dream, The Triple Fool, Song: Go And Catch A Falling Star etc., Donne critically sketched human love to differentiate it from the conventional concept of love given by others.

While among the Elizabethan poets, use of wit has been decorative only, Donne has used wit sometimes in the form of satire and often in a serious manner. In The Sun Rising, Donne has categorically applied satire: “Why should’st thou think? / I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink”.

He surprises us with opening a religious poem Holy Sonnets thus:

Thou hast made me. Shall thy work decay? Repair me now, for now mine end doth haste…….

He shows artful use of Conceits when he compares a pair of lovers to a pair of compasses in his poem, " A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning"

If they be two, they are two so As stiff twin compasses are two;

The variety and scope of Donne’s love poetry is really remarkable. He hinges between physical and holy love. John Donne was a unique poet of love. He was born 6 at a time, when it was a great fashion for the poets to write love poetry. Donne, was not behind them in writing love poetry. But he was different from all of its contemporary poets. He is not the one, who will dwell only on the beauty of his beloved. Sometimes, he will praise the beauty of his beloved, while other times he will scorn the women. There is an amalgam of love and hatred in his poetry. Although Andrew Marvell, Henry Vaughan, George Herbert and others have shown sharpness in representing common subject matters like love, religion with a new approach, John Donne shines amongst them like a luminous star for his stunning and unrivaled genius in rationalizing his daring imagination. It goes without saying that Donne was the architect of Metaphysical poetry.

GEORGE HERBERT [1593 –1633]

George Herbert is considered as a religious poet because of the subject matter of his poetry which is fully devotional and religious in nature. By his poetry, he completely surrenders himself to God and his master, Jesus. Although he was associated with the metaphysical group, he was exceptional for his treatment towards religion in his poetry. For his devotion to God, he is known as the saint of the metaphysical group. And his religious thought afterward influenced other metaphysical poets. He deals with the soul, God, life after death, the relation between human spirits and senses and so on. He talks of man's relation to God, of body to the soul, of the life here and to the life hereafter. In this relation, he often shows rebellion, reconciliation and the final submission. His most famous work is "The Temple"- a collection of 169 religious poems in which Herbert uses his poetic skill in God's praise in as much different forms as possible. Some of his other poems are Discipline, Affliction and Prayer. Moreover, his poetry is a sequence of religious poems.

RICHARD CRASHAW [1613-1649]

Strongly linked with the Metaphysical Poets, Richard Crashaw was greatly influenced by a book called Temple by Welsh poet George Herbert which led him to devote his future to writing religious verse. A year later, Crashaw published a series of Latin verses, while he was still in his early twenties. As Civil war broke out in London, Crashaw had to flee to France. It was during this period that he moved more 7 towards the Catholic faith and wrote many poems and verses which were published in 1646 as Steps to the Temple and The Delights of the Muses.

ABRAHAM COWLEY [1618-1667]

Abraham Cowley was a poet and essayist who displayed early talent as a poet. His first collection of poetry, Poetical Blossoms (1633), was published at the age of 15. Arguably, his most famous work The Mistress, is a beautiful collection of poems which presents Cowley’s metaphysical style of love poetry. Cowley wrote poetry of a fanciful, decorous nature. He also adapted the Pindaric ode to English verse.

ANDREW MARVELL [1621 –1678)

Andrew Marvell exhibits all characteristics of a great metaphysical poet. One of the finest poems of Marvell ‘To His Coy Mistress’, is best example of his use of metaphysical conceits, where he compares his love thus: “My vegetable love should grow/Vaster than Empire, and more slow”. His poems show the typical metaphysical union of passion and intellect. In his poem ‘The Definition of Love’, the emotion is expressed in an intellectual manner: “Therefore the love …….Is the conjunction of the mind…”.

HENRY VAUGHAN [1621 – 1695]

Unlike John Donne and Herbert, Henry Vaughan has infused his poems with love of Nature. Vaughan’s poetry is abundantly rich in terms of metaphysical elements. He is chiefly known for religious poetry contained in Silex Scintillans, published in 1650, with a second part in 1655. He was greatly influenced by the work of George Herbert but they were very different. Whereas Herbert celebrates the institution of the Church, Vaughan is more interested in natural objects and in a mystical communion with nature.

In his poem, “The Retreat” Vaughan makes great use of metaphysical conceits- “But, ah! my soul with too much stay, Is drunk, and staggers in the way.” In 8

Vaughan, there is a fine metaphysical mixing of deep religious emotion with intellectual thinking. Besides, there is a strong note of mysticism in his poetry. For example, the poem “The Retreat” is the expression of Vaughan’s mystical belief that the child comes into this world from heaven and can retain heavenly memories till he grows up.

CONCLUSION

Thus, we can conclude with a poignant remark by Saintsbury: “The term “metaphysical” denotes, habit, common to this school of poets, of always seeking to express something after, something behind, the simple obvious first sense and suggestion of a subject.” Donne and his followers strike a note of difference from Spenserian and Elizabethan poetry in general. Metaphysical poetry implies the characteristics of complexity, intellectual tone and abundance of wit, fusion of intellect and emotion colloquial argumentative tone, conceits, scholarly allusions, dramatic tone and philosophical elements.

*** By: Prof Sunita Sinha Head, Department of English Women’s College, Samastipur L.N.M.U. Darbhanga Mob: 9934917117 E mail: [email protected] Website:www.sunitasinha.com