MetaphysicalPoetry
Rebecca
AP English
2/8/11
Metaphysics
It is hard to explain what metaphysics really is and ithas different meanings
It is a branch of philosophy
Metaphysics was first referred to much of Aristotle’swritings
In simple terms, metaphysics deals with thefundamental nature of reality in that it finds whatsomething must be like in order to be existent at all.
Metaphysicians are idealists that discover whatunderlies everything in the world.
Materialists and naturalists are said to have some ofthe same views as metaphysicians.
Metaphysical poetry
Metaphysical means above physical level
Metaphysical poetry is based on anabstract and difficult style of writing whichuses conceits along with wide uses of similesand metaphors.
Other ways to recognize metaphysicalpoetry is if the poem is a paradox and usesdirect language
A lot of metaphysical poetry usephilosophical ideas and much analysis
Other elements include Juxtaposition, Irony,and Allusions
Most Metaphysical poetry deals with bigissues such as love, death, money, life andgod.
Metaphysical poets
were a group of 17th century British poets
They were influenced by the changing timesgoing on in the world and new sciences that weredeveloping.
Each used the same elements of Metaphysicalpoetry but often had their own views on differentideas
One of the most famous Metaphysical poets isJohn Donne
Other included George Herbert, Henry Vaughan,Edward Herbert, Thomas Carcw, Richard Crashaw,Andrew Marvell, Richard Lovelace, and Sir JohnSuckling
John Donne
born in London in 1572
First studied law to have a legal and diplomaticcareer
He was a private secretary and also a lawyer.
He had a secret marriage to Anne Moore
He later became a priest for the Anglican churchwhere he delivered inspiring sermons
His poetry consisted of subjects on many spiritualand religious views
He wrote many poems including A ValedictionForbidding Mourning, and The Flea which we readlast semester
The Paradox By: John Donne
NO lover saith, I love, nor any otherCan judge a perfect lover ;He thinks that else none can or will agree,That any loves but he ;I cannot say I loved, for who can sayHe was kill'd yesterday.Love with excess of heat, more young than old,Death kills with too much cold ;We die but once, and who loved last did die,He that saith, twice, doth lie ;For though he seem to move, and stir a while,It doth the sense beguile.Such life is like the light which bideth yetWhen the life's light is set,Or like the heat which fire in solid matterLeaves behind, two hours after.Once I loved and died ; and am now becomeMine epitaph and tomb ;Here dead men speak their last, and so do I ;Love-slain, lo ! here I die.
Translation
No lover says that they love, and no one can find/be a perfect lover.Whoever thinks he is thinks that he is the only one who loves.I can't say that I've loved because it's impossible to say anything if you werekilled yesterday.Death kills love's heat with cold. (This could be the other way around, though)We can only die once, so whoever has loved is dead.If anyone says that he can love twice, he lies.For, the one (who has loved) and seems to be alive is only a trick on oursenses.The life that he seems to have is only the afterglow of his life,Like the heat that is left by a fire two hours after it's burned out.I once loved and died and have become my own epitaph and tomb.I have been slain by love! Here, I die!
Elements of themovement/period
The title is a give away that this poem is a paradox which isan element often used in metaphysical poetry.
Simile's and metaphors are used widely throughout thepoem.
Ex: Such life is like the light which bideth yet
This Poem is a conceit in that it uses the word Love toexplain death through out much of the poem
Many lines in this poem have multiple meanings
Ex: Love slain, lo, here I lie
Along with this poem and most of Donne’s poem, deathseems to always come up which shows that he has strongfeelings about it that are not good
This poem is ultimately saying that love leads to death
“death” may very be a connotation for something sexual
Elements of Style
Ambiguity, which is a word or phrase that has adouble meaning, causing multiple interpretations isused throughout the poem
Ex: the word death may actually mean death tosome but also might mean something sexual toothers due to the time period.
Donne uses connotation throughout the poem toshow that some of the words like “death” havingdouble meanings. This makes the reader thinkdeeper than what is just in front of them.
This poem also shows expressionism in that JohnDonne has his own believe about love and deaththat is not necessarily like others but it is somethingthat he strongly believes in.
Language
A lot of the lines uses connotative language,meaning that most of the words in the poem havedifferent meanings.
The language is also poetic in that it is a poemwith rhyme. The rhyme scheme is: AABBCCDDEE…and so forth.
This poem is also Obscure in that it is hard tounderstand what the point is and the ideas in thispoem might seem strange to some
This poem is euphemistic because it is substitutinglove for death which can be disturbing to most.