" THE METAPHYSICAL POETS "
" Had we but world enough, and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime "
[ Andrew Marvell, To His Coy Mistress ]
BACKGROUND :
In the history of English Literature, there are many ages like Elizabethan age, Puritan age, Jacobean age, Restoration age, Eighteenth-Century Literature, The Romantic age, The Victorian age and Twentieth Century Literature. When we learn about Elizabethan, we come to know that when Elizabethan was the queen of England who had given free hand to the writers and poets at that time she had not only given financial support to the poets and writers but she had also given moral support to the writers and poets. She had given the importance to the theaters. Shakespeare has the benefit of Queen Elizabeth because she gave the prize to play writers. So that writers wrote the play. But when the second age came which was called Jacobean age, theaters were closed down because Puritans believed in religion and they have believed that theatrical activities are bad. so that they closed theaters. puritans believed that if you want to write plays or poems then poetry should be related to religion. In this age, Milton came and wrote " Paradise Lost." so that Jacobean age called to be reactionary age. Maybe Plato also belonged to this age who also believed in religion. so that we can say that only religious literature was allow in the Puritan age.
In 1660 Charles II was restored by English People. when he came to England, all closed down theaters were reopened. women appeared on the stage in Restoration age which was not allow in Elizabethan age. so that in this age one group of ports appeared and they are called " Metaphysical poets." METAPHYSICAL POETRY:
As we all know that the term or word " Metaphysical poetry " First Coined by literary critic and poet Samuel Johnson in his book " lives of the most eminent English poets " [1179-1781]. In the book, he wrote about a group of 17th-century British poets like John Donne, George Herbert, Richard Crashaw, Andrew Marvell and Henry Vaughan. The translation of Metaphysical poets is " After the physical". The Metaphysical poetry occupies a unique place in the history of English poetry. and it is known as "The school of John Donne" Because he was the pioneer who established this new trend of writing poetry. But the name was given by Dr.Samuel Johnson.
CHARACTERISTICS OF METAPHYSICAL POETS :
The main characteristics of the age are
1. Conscious Attempt
2. Far Fetched Images
All the Metaphysical poets were the men of learning. They were the degree holders of the reputed university of English. The wanted to display their wit and Learning through poetry.so they made a conscious attempt to write poetry in a scholarly way. Let me give you one Example when your professor completed their works and after they given you some work at that time you write in a different way, you write something unique. you do this because you want to display your wit or your interest. They wanted to display their work because they wanted to differ from the former poets of the Elizabethan age. They wanted to establish their unique identity due to new learning and Humanism of the Elizabethan age. Their poets would have been rejected by the Intellectual readers so all the Metaphysical poets made a Conscious Attempt to differ from other poets and to write poetry in a scholarly way.
Far Fetched Images and Conceits is one more Important Characteristic of Metaphysical poetry. They brought their Images from the Filed just like Engineering, Agriculture, Geography, Geometry, and so on. Their Images made them different. For Example, George Herbert used Images of Architecture and Engineering to deal with them of Christianity. The best Examples are " The church porch " and " The Pulley". In brief Metaphysical poets made extensive use of Far Fetched Images to deal with different themes in their poetry.
METAPHYSICAL POET JOHN DONNE :
John Donne himself made use of Geographical and Biological Images to express the thing of Love. The best Examples are " The Flea ", "The Ecstasy ", " The Dream ", Death: Be Not Proud ", and so on.
Death : Be not proud ( Holy Sonnets )
" Death : Be not proud " is a 10th holy sonnet by John Donne. He tries to nullify the fear of death in the present sonnet. The poem is addressed by the poet to death itself. The poet tells death not to be proud because death has nothing with it to be proud. of course some people describe death as very powerful and dangerous but in reality death is neither powerful nor dangerous. The poet mentions that death has no capacity to kill him , if the poet has to draw a picture of death, he will draw the picture of a person enjoying, rest and sleep. That means death gives us rest and sleep to us So we have to derive pleasure out of it and not pain.
The poet mentions that even the beast of people have gone with death the soonest, so their is no reason for anybody to be afraid of death. So according to the poet , their are three dwelling places of death they are poison , war , and sickness. Death is bound to be there , where these three elements are present. so that we can say that this is wonderful poem written by Donne.
In many movies we can see that the protagonist character is not afraid of death. Here I give one movie Thelma and Louise.
click here to watch the climax of this movie Thelma and Louise
" THE PULLEY " BY GEORGE HERBERT
" The Pulley " by George Herbert is a Religious Metaphysical poem. The Pulley is in center. He wants to represent the truth that why human beings are so restless and unsatisfied. After god made this universe he gathered all the blessings of the world in a glass and distributed them to human beings. First he gave the strength , therefore human became strong enough to survive , they have power to survive or we can see that they have ability to survive. After strength one by one god gave them the beauty, wisdom, honor, pleasure, and many other blessing. When god gave all this things god kept " rest " at the bottom of the glass. God thinking that if they get all they want , in the sense of satisfaction, they may forget god if god gave them all this things. On the other hand when they gets rest , people forget god. so god wants to be remembered by men till eternity.
In this poem by George Herbert he wants to convey the message of God being jealous from the happiness of men and the mental nature of God is a normal human kind.
" Had we but world enough, and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime "
[ Andrew Marvell, To His Coy Mistress ]
BACKGROUND :
In the history of English Literature, there are many ages like Elizabethan age, Puritan age, Jacobean age, Restoration age, Eighteenth-Century Literature, The Romantic age, The Victorian age and Twentieth Century Literature. When we learn about Elizabethan, we come to know that when Elizabethan was the queen of England who had given free hand to the writers and poets at that time she had not only given financial support to the poets and writers but she had also given moral support to the writers and poets. She had given the importance to the theaters. Shakespeare has the benefit of Queen Elizabeth because she gave the prize to play writers. So that writers wrote the play. But when the second age came which was called Jacobean age, theaters were closed down because Puritans believed in religion and they have believed that theatrical activities are bad. so that they closed theaters. puritans believed that if you want to write plays or poems then poetry should be related to religion. In this age, Milton came and wrote " Paradise Lost." so that Jacobean age called to be reactionary age. Maybe Plato also belonged to this age who also believed in religion. so that we can say that only religious literature was allow in the Puritan age.
In 1660 Charles II was restored by English People. when he came to England, all closed down theaters were reopened. women appeared on the stage in Restoration age which was not allow in Elizabethan age. so that in this age one group of ports appeared and they are called " Metaphysical poets." METAPHYSICAL POETRY:
As we all know that the term or word " Metaphysical poetry " First Coined by literary critic and poet Samuel Johnson in his book " lives of the most eminent English poets " [1179-1781]. In the book, he wrote about a group of 17th-century British poets like John Donne, George Herbert, Richard Crashaw, Andrew Marvell and Henry Vaughan. The translation of Metaphysical poets is " After the physical". The Metaphysical poetry occupies a unique place in the history of English poetry. and it is known as "The school of John Donne" Because he was the pioneer who established this new trend of writing poetry. But the name was given by Dr.Samuel Johnson.
CHARACTERISTICS OF METAPHYSICAL POETS :
The main characteristics of the age are
1. Conscious Attempt
2. Far Fetched Images
All the Metaphysical poets were the men of learning. They were the degree holders of the reputed university of English. The wanted to display their wit and Learning through poetry.so they made a conscious attempt to write poetry in a scholarly way. Let me give you one Example when your professor completed their works and after they given you some work at that time you write in a different way, you write something unique. you do this because you want to display your wit or your interest. They wanted to display their work because they wanted to differ from the former poets of the Elizabethan age. They wanted to establish their unique identity due to new learning and Humanism of the Elizabethan age. Their poets would have been rejected by the Intellectual readers so all the Metaphysical poets made a Conscious Attempt to differ from other poets and to write poetry in a scholarly way.
Far Fetched Images and Conceits is one more Important Characteristic of Metaphysical poetry. They brought their Images from the Filed just like Engineering, Agriculture, Geography, Geometry, and so on. Their Images made them different. For Example, George Herbert used Images of Architecture and Engineering to deal with them of Christianity. The best Examples are " The church porch " and " The Pulley". In brief Metaphysical poets made extensive use of Far Fetched Images to deal with different themes in their poetry.
METAPHYSICAL POET JOHN DONNE :
John Donne himself made use of Geographical and Biological Images to express the thing of Love. The best Examples are " The Flea ", "The Ecstasy ", " The Dream ", Death: Be Not Proud ", and so on.
Death : Be not proud ( Holy Sonnets )
" Death : Be not proud " is a 10th holy sonnet by John Donne. He tries to nullify the fear of death in the present sonnet. The poem is addressed by the poet to death itself. The poet tells death not to be proud because death has nothing with it to be proud. of course some people describe death as very powerful and dangerous but in reality death is neither powerful nor dangerous. The poet mentions that death has no capacity to kill him , if the poet has to draw a picture of death, he will draw the picture of a person enjoying, rest and sleep. That means death gives us rest and sleep to us So we have to derive pleasure out of it and not pain.
The poet mentions that even the beast of people have gone with death the soonest, so their is no reason for anybody to be afraid of death. So according to the poet , their are three dwelling places of death they are poison , war , and sickness. Death is bound to be there , where these three elements are present. so that we can say that this is wonderful poem written by Donne.
In many movies we can see that the protagonist character is not afraid of death. Here I give one movie Thelma and Louise.
click here to watch the climax of this movie Thelma and Louise
" THE PULLEY " BY GEORGE HERBERT
" The Pulley " by George Herbert is a Religious Metaphysical poem. The Pulley is in center. He wants to represent the truth that why human beings are so restless and unsatisfied. After god made this universe he gathered all the blessings of the world in a glass and distributed them to human beings. First he gave the strength , therefore human became strong enough to survive , they have power to survive or we can see that they have ability to survive. After strength one by one god gave them the beauty, wisdom, honor, pleasure, and many other blessing. When god gave all this things god kept " rest " at the bottom of the glass. God thinking that if they get all they want , in the sense of satisfaction, they may forget god if god gave them all this things. On the other hand when they gets rest , people forget god. so god wants to be remembered by men till eternity.
In this poem by George Herbert he wants to convey the message of God being jealous from the happiness of men and the mental nature of God is a normal human kind.
Very good!!
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