literature, metaphysical poetry, John Donne

1. CHARACTERISTICS OF
METAPHYSICAL POETRY
PREPARED BY NIDHI DAVE
PAPER -1 LITERATURE OF THE ELIZABETHAN AND RESTORATION PERIODS
TOPIC : CHARACTERISTICS OF METAPHYSICAL POETRY
MA SEM :1
SUBMITTED TO: DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, MKBU

2. WHAT IS METAPHYSICAL POETRY?
• A group of poets emerged in the beginning of the seventeenth century, whose
poetry come to be know 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”

3. DEFINITION OF METAPHYSICAL POETRY:
• “ Highly intellectualized poetry marked by bold and
ingenious conceits, incongruous imagery, complexity and
subtlety of thought, frequent use of paradox , and often
by deliberate harshness or rigidity of expression.”

4. HISTORY OF METAPHYSICAL POETRY:-
John Donne was the founder of the Metaphyasical poetry . He tried to write poetry
in a different way.
The name ‘metaphysical poetry’ is given Dr. Samuel Johnson for the first time.
When wrote he the life of Abraham Cowley in his book
“The Lives ’’. But used it in a negative sense to Criticize the poetry of Donne and
his followers but the same term became a mark APPRAISAL of the metaphysical
poetry.

5. MAJOR METAPHYSICAL POETS:-
• John Donne
• George Herbert
• Henry Vaughan
• Richard Crashaw
• Andrew Marvell
• Abraham Cowley
• John Hall

6. METAPHYSICAL POETRY:-
• To His coy Mistress
• The collar
• The sun Rising
• The flea
• The dream
• Death ,Be Not Proud
• Sweetest love I Not go
• The Ecstacy

7. CHARACTERISTICS OF POETRY HIGHLIGHTED BY
DR. JOHNSON:-
* Conscious Attempt:-
All the metaphysical poet made a conscious attempt differ from
the poetry of farmer poets and they try to differ both in the matter and the manner of
writing poetry.
* Dramatic manner and direct tone of speech:-
Is one of the main characteristics of metaphysical poetry. in the starting line of the
poem “ The Canonization .’’ there is given a dramatic starting
“For Gods sake hold your tongue and let me love”

8. * Display of scholarship:-
All the metaphysical poets tried to display there
scholarship through there poems they were university gradutes and men of
learning.
* Usage of satire and irony: -
Is another characteristic or metaphysical poetry. Donne also uses this in his
poems.

9. • Wit:-
wit is another characteristic of metaphysical poetry. So, here we find various
allusions and images relating to practicality all areas of nature and art and learning
– to medicine, cosmology, contemporary discoveries, ancient myth, history, law and
art.
• Platonic love:-
platonic love is another feature of meta physical poetry. Platonic
love means, spiritual love, which is free element of physic love.

10. Thank You