17th and 18th Century Authors Metaphysical Poetry 17th and 18th Century Authors

What is metaphysical poetry? The word 'meta' means 'after,' so the literal translation of 'metaphysical' is 'after the physical.' Basically, metaphysics deals with questions that can't be explained by science. It questions the nature of reality in a philosophical way. Here are some common metaphysical questions: Does God exist? Is there a difference between the way things appear to us and the way they really are? Essentially, what is the difference between reality and perception? Is everything that happens already predetermined? If so, then is free choice non-existent? Is consciousness limited to the brain? Metaphysics can cover a broad range of topics from religious to consciousness; however, all the questions about metaphysics ponder the nature of reality. And of course, there is no one correct answer to any of these questions. Metaphysics is about exploration and philosophy, not about science and math.

Characteristics of Metaphysical Poetry: Perhaps the most common characteristic is that metaphysical poetry contained large doses of wit and humor. Metaphysical poetry also sought to shock the reader and wake him or her up from his or her normal existence in order to question the unquestionable. The poetry often mixed ordinary speech with paradoxes and puns. The results were strange, comparing unlikely things, such as lovers to a compass. These weird comparisons were called conceits. Metaphysical poetry also explored a few common themes. They all had a religious sentiment. In addition, many of the poems explored the theme of carpe diem (seize the day) and investigated the humanity of life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veYR3ZC9wMQ

Metaphysical Conceit Conceit: an elaborately sustained comparison/metaphor between two dissimilar things Metaphysical conceit: a conceit used by 17th/18th century authors that draws on a range of knowledge , from the commonplace to the esoteric and its comparisons are elaborately rationalized WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN??? It usually sets up an analogy between one entity’s spiritual qualities and an object in the physical world

Metaphysical Conceit Shakespeare makes use of a conceit in Act 3, Scene 5 of his play “Romeo and Juliet”. Capulet comes to Juliet’s room after Romeo has left. He finds her weeping and says: “Thou counterfeit’st a bark, a sea, a wind; For still thy eyes, which I may call the sea, Do ebb and flow with tears; the bark thy body is, Sailing in this salt flood; the winds, thy sighs; Who, raging with thy tears, and they with them, Without a sudden calm, will overset Thy tempest-tossed body.” He compares Juliet to a boat in a storm. The comparison is an extended metaphor where he compares her eyes to a sea, her tears to a storm, her sighs to the stormy winds and her body to a boat in a storm. WHATEVER, they were 15!

Metaphysical Conceit Example: John Donne’s poem, “The Flea”: “Oh stay! three lives in one flea spare Where we almost, yea more than married are. This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage-bed and marriage-temple is” In the above lines, the poet tells his darling that she has no reason to deny him sexually as the flea has sucked blood from both them and their blood has mingled in its gut, so the flea has become their “wedding bed”, though they are not married yet. GROSS!

Paradox: A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself and still seems true somehow. Fancy that. Everyday examples include, "Nobody goes to the restaurant because it's too crowded." Or how about "This sentence is false.“ Examples: In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, one part of the cardinal rule is the statement, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”. In the famous play of Shakespeare, Hamlet, the protagonist Hamlet says, “I must be cruel to be kind.” In his short lyric “My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold”, William Wordsworth remembers the joys of his past and says: “Child is father of the man”

John Donne (1572-1631) John Donne All conversations about metaphysical poetry must start with John Donne. He is considered the founder of metaphysical poetry and master of the metaphysical conceit. Donne was not only a poet but a lawyer, priest and satirist. His poetry reflects this diversity, and his works are just as religious as they are funny. Donne explored the idea of religion his whole life, and despite being a priest, spent a lot of time examining the idea of true religion. We can trace these questions back to his upbringing. Donne was born and raised a Roman Catholic when it was illegal to be Catholic in England. He lost many relatives to martyrdom - they were either exiled or executed.

“Meditation 17” by John Donne Category: Response: Speaker John Donne; sick and dying Occasion Hears the church bells of a funeral ringing Audience Humanity; himself; god; the church Purpose To question man’s purpose in this world and their spiritual connection to god; question death and what happens when you die (Do you know you are about to die?) Subject 3 conceits connecting man/life to something: Book Island Affliction Tone Reflective: Meditation on life/death Serious: Connects himself and his sickness to the funeral bells Uplifting: Man is not alone; we are all connected

Conceits with a Partner: First, decide who is doing which conceit. Second, annotate the conceit: Figurative language parallel structure Paradox Tone, etc. Third, fill out the chart for your conceit. The main difference between meaning and analysis is: Conceit: literal interpretation of the conceit (2 things being compared) Analysis: purpose in writing it (the WHY?)

Creating a Conceit! In all of Donne’s conceits within “Meditation 17”, he compares man/mankind/life to something else, be it a concrete object or an abstract idea. So you are going to create an elaborate conceit comparing mankind OR life to something as well. Needs to be 5-7 sentences Needs to continue the main comparison throughout, going into extreme detail about the 1 object you compared life to. Needs to include characteristics of metaphysical poetry (paradoxes, carpe diem, religious sentiment, puns, etc.) DUE tomorrow at the end of class….you should have class time tomorrow to complete it if you need to 

Partner paragraph: Together, construct a paragraph that analyzes 2 of the 3 conceits. Topic sentence: Author and title Explain metaphysical poetry definition and how “M17” is an example of it. Explain what a conceit is and how Donne uses then in “M17” Discuss 1st conceit with examples and analysis Discuss 2nd conceit with examples and analysis Conclude paragraph