This document discusses metaphysical poetry, particularly the works of John Donne. It notes that Donne was the founder of metaphysical poetry, which uses unconventional rhythms and complex figures of speech. Some key features include the use of striking metaphysical conceits that make surprising connections between dissimilar things, intricate arguments, and paradoxes. Donne's poems often explore philosophical or spiritual themes through ingenious analogies and images from diverse fields.

2. The whole experience of man:
Meta = beyond; physics =
science

3.  Explores
 Intellectual
 Bold emotion
 Uses allusions – especially to philosophy
 Includes images from science, law,
medicine, religion.
 Explores : love, God, Soul, Freedom, Nature
of Reality; Reason for Being.

4. John Donne was the founder of the
metaphysical poetry, He tried to write
poetry in a different way. The name
‘metaphysical poetry’ is given by Dr. Samuel
Johnson for the first time. When he wrote
the life of Abrahum Cowley in his book “The
Lives” But he used it in a negative sense to
critic the poetry of Donne and his followers
but the same term became a mark of the
Appraisal of the metaphysical poetry.

5.  Lyric poems- brief but intense meditations
 Striking use of wit, irony, wordplay = called
‘METAPHYSICAL CONCEITS’
 Argumentative and persuasive “affects the
metaphysical and perplexes the mind”.
 Written in lines of unequal and varying
length and rhythms that reflect
unpredictable. Movements of an active
mind.

6. Especially complex & Ingenious figures of
Speech
 A kind of METAPHOR that makes surprising
connections between two seemingly dissimilar things
 Used for an analytical and phychological investigation
of love and life
 Examples:
1. A lover’s tears are newly minted coins
2. The king’s court is a bawling alley
3. Lovers are holy saints
4. Lovers a two prongs of a compass

7. JOHN DONNE
GEORGE HERBERT
ANDREW MARVWLL
ABRAHUM COWLEY
RICHARD CHRESHEW
HENRY VAUGHAN

8. INTRICATE ARGUMENTS
John Donne’s most of the poetries have
this element of strong argument for
persuasion of something
e.g. THE FLEA
USE OF PARAOX
It is a self contradictory, But it has
something in its deep.
e.g. The Christian way of saying that we
only gain life by loosing it.

9. He is the master of the arresting opening
lines good. He has proved it in TO HIS
MISTRES GOING TO BED SWEETEST LOVE
I DO NOT GO ANAALOGIES RAWN
BETWEEN DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF
LEARNING
Donne and his followers bring images from
various field like geometry, agriculture,
engineering, biology and architecture
E.g. The Flea

11. This poetry by John Donne, he
makes use of a biological image of
the flea. He is trying to convince
lover’s purpose somehow he wants
to pursue his sexual desire is not a
shame. It has purity the
innermost.