The general characteristics of metaphysical poetry.

                      Hello! I am divya parmar. Hear i am writting a blog to complete class thinking activity which is given by Dilip barad sar. In these blog I am writing about general characteristics of metaphysical poetry and some poems which is included in our syllabus. videos of teaching metaphysical poetry by Rk mandaliya sar, are very helpful to us. 

QUESTION: WHAT IS METAPHYSICAL POETRY? WHAT IS THE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF METAPHYSICAL POETRY? 

                 the word ‘metaphysical poetry’ is a philosophical concept used in literature where poets portray the things/ideas that are beyond the depiction of physical existence. etymologically, there is a combination of two words ‘meta’ and ‘physical in word “metaphysical”.’ the first word “meta” means beyond. so metaphysical means beyond physical, beyond the normal and ordinary. the meanings are clear here that it deals with the objects/ideas that are beyond the existence of this physical world. let us look at the origin of word metaphysical poetry in more detail.

THE ORIGIN OF THE WORLD "METAPHYSICAL"

                 In the book “Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets (1179-1781)”, the author Samuel Johnson made the first use of the word Metaphysical Poetry. He used the term Metaphysical poets to define a loose group of the poets of 17th century. The group was not formal and most of the poets put in this category did not know or read each other’s writings. This group’s most prominent poets include John Donne, Andrew Marvell, Abraham Cowley, George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, Thomas Traherne, Richard Crashaw, etc. He noted in his writing that all of these poets had the same style of wit and conceit in their poetry.

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”

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE METAPHYSICAL POETRY: 

                 A group of poet emerged in the second half of the 16th century whose poetry is identified as the metaphysical poetry. It was Dr. Samuel Johnson- A classicist of the age, who named poetry of John Donne and his school, As the metaphysical poetry. Johnson used these term while writting about the life of Abraham Cowley in his biographical work with the tittle"THE LIVES OF ENGLISH POETS" Dr. Johnson wanted to criticise the poetry of donne and his followers by using the term "metaphysical poetry". But with the passing of time the same term became the term of 'Appraisal' for their poetry. Dr. Johnson has passed on one remarkable comment stating that the poetry of metaphysical poets stood a trayal of "their finger but failed in trayal of the ears" Dr. Johnson wants to states that there is no music and rhythm in their poetry. 

                 Metaphysical poetry talks about deep things. It talks about soul, love, religion, reality etc. You can never be sure about what is coming your way while reading a metaphysical poem. There can be unusual philosophies and comparisons that will make you think and ponder.The most important characteristics of metaphysical poetry is “undissociated sensibility” (the combination of feeling and thoughts).

                   Even though it talks about serious stuff, it talks about it in a humorous way. The tone is sometimes light. It can be harsh sometimes too. The purpose is to present a new idea and make the reader think.

                    Another characteristic of such poetry is that it is unclear. Because it provides such complicated themes, the idea of metaphysical poems is somewhat not definite. It is different for every person. It depends on the perception and experiences of the reader. Every person will take something different out of the same poem based on their beliefs and understanding.

                 Metaphysical poetry is also short. It uses brief words and conveys a lot of ideas in just a small number of words. There are many maxims in this type of poetry too. John Donne introduced sayings into metaphysical poetry.

                  The unusual comparison of things in poetry is one of its unique and most interesting characteristics. All the metaphysicals have ability for unusual witty comparison , juxtaposition, and imagery. These unusual comparison are metaphysical conceits. As Donne in Twicknam Garden uses expression “spider love” that is contrary to the expectations of the readers. In the same poem, Donne also compares a lovers tears to wine of love that is unusual use of juxtaposition. Conceit compares very dissimilar things. For example bright smoke, calling lovers as two points of compass, taking soul as dew drop, etc.

                      The metaphysical poetry is brain-sprung, not heart-felt. It is intellectual and witty. According to Grierson, the two chief characteristics of metaphysical poetry are paradoxical ratiocination and passionate feelings. As Donne opens his poem “The indifferent” with a line with a paradoxical comment. “I can love both fair and brown”

Other unique feature of this poetry is Platonic Love. The word is taken after Plato. Platonic love is a non-romantic love. There is no lust or need of physical contact. It is spiritual love and is mostly for God.

                             Another feature of the metaphysical poetry is its fantastic lyrics style. As A. C. Word said: “The metaphysical style is a combination of two elements, the fantastic form and style, and the incongruous in matter manner”. The versification of the metaphysical poetry is also coarse and jerky like its diction. The main intention of the metaphysicals was to startle the readers. They deliberately avoided conventional poetic style to bring something new to the readers. Their style was not conventional and the versification contrast with much of the Elizabethan writers. 

It arouses some extreme level of thoughts and feelings in the readers by asking life-altering questions. 

THE METAPHYSICAL POEM : "Death be not proud"

                 "Death be not proud" is a Holy sonnet by John Donne. This sonnet is addressed by the poet to death it self. The aim of the poet behind writing the sonnet is to nullify the fear of death. The poet has presented altogether a different pictures of death in the present sonnet.

                    The Sonnet opens with the poet's instruction to death that there is no need for death to be proud to anything ofcourse there are people who consider death mighty and dangerous. But poet belives that death is neither mighty nor dangerous. Death believes that it has the capacity to kill people. But the poet is of opinion that death is neither might nor dangerous. it has no capacity to kill anybody. if the poet is asked to draw a picture of death, the poet would draw a picture of man enjoying sound sleep and taking rest. If death offers rest and sound sleep to the people, pleasure should be derived out of death. And nobody should be afraid of.

                      the poet gives one example to nullify the fear of death. Even the best of human beings have gone with that the soonest. one can give a number of examples to prove that the best of people go with death without getting disturbed. And many of them have gone the soonest. we can give the example of kits and kalapi , who left this world very soon. 

                         According to the poet death is a slave of 4 elements. those four elements are fate, chance, kings and man in distress. The ‍ meaning of death comes to a person only when death is decided by faith or chance or King aur men in distress. There are three residential places for death to live. those places are poison,war and sickiness. The meaning is whosoever invites sickness or poison or war such a person invites a death. Death always leaves in poison, sickness and war. The poet find one remarkable difference between how death causes sleep and how sleep is caused a mother death.Death causes sleep in a sudden stroke but mother's charms and her mother affection cause a sleep very slowly and gently. 

                      The poet concludes then the death is nothing more than the short sleep. After one short sleep we get up with the eternal and this statement of John donne indicates that donne believes in the theory of rebirth. If death is treated in this manner nobody will be afraid of death. These is how the end of the poem John donne tries to convince all that there will be no fear of death and that is self will die. Because nobody will be afraid of death.