Donne as a
Metaphysical poet
John Donne
is a poet who gave a new direction to the English poetry. He is rightly called
the founder of metaphysical poetry. It was Dr. Johnson who uses the phrase
metaphysical poets in 1781. He finds a group of poets who use extra ordinary
wit, paradoxes, obscure conceits and comparisons in their poetry. It was a
group of about twenty poets but most of all John Donne was prominent.
Metaphysical
poetry means a type of poetry in which the poet uses highly intellectualized
conceits, paradoxes, complexity and subtlety of thoughts. Metaphysical means
the study of what cannot be reached through objective approach of material
reality. After the decline of greater poetry of Elizabethan period, a school of
metaphysical poets arose and Donne was the leader of that school of thought.
“A poet who
gave much more than what he borrowed from his age.”
The
metaphysical were men of learning and their chief priority was to show off their
learning. They discussed everything pedagogically and their ideas and thoughts
were new one. They revolted against the Petrarchan style of poetry and set a
new trend before the upcoming poets. The other poets liked it and follow their
style in the upcoming poetic revolution.
All
prominent qualities of metaphysical poetry is found in the poetry of John
Donne. Dryden says about Donne, “He effects the metaphysics.” He yokes two
heterogeneous ideas together, uses his wit, and employs conceits and far-fetched
similes in his poems. The flea becomes a marriage bed because it bites the
beloved after biting the poet. It becomes a union of lover and beloved s’
blood. It is called as a marriage temple.
“The flea is you and I and this
Our marriage –bed, and marriage temple is.”
The Sunne Rising” is another passionate poem.
The loving couple is not afraid of the sun which has risen because love is not indebted
to clime and season. The poet scolds the sun for disturbing the loving couple.
He shows his beloved superiority over the powerful beams of the sun. For the
poet everything is his beloved.
“She is all states and all princes I,
Nothing else is.”
One of the chief characteristics of
metaphysical poetry is and exhibition of learning and scholasticism. As per
this definition, Donne is a metaphysical poet. He sets forth in his poetry no
ordered system of the universe. The ordered system of Dante was breaking into
pieces while Donne lived.
“And new philosophy calls all in doubt….
…..can well direct him where to look for it.”
In “The Relique”, Donne imagines himself
lying in a grave as a skeleton with the undeniable token of spiritual love in the sphere of his beloved s’ bright lock of
hair forming a bracelet round his wrist and because of their great love he and
his beloved will be honored like saints.
“All women shall adore us and some men.”
In the poem, “The Ecstasy” The soul of the two
lovers come out of their bodies and negotiate with each other, though finally
they return to their bodies. He often relates those phenomenons which lie
beyond normal physical experiences, with those which can be physically
experienced.
To sum up the discussion, we can say that
John Donne is a metaphysical poet in real sense. His poetry is highly
intellectualized. He uses farfetched similes and extraordinary conceits in his
poems. He revolted against the Petrarchan type of emotional poetry and devised and
set new ways before the contemporary poets.
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