Jacobean poetry/the metaphysical poets

1603: death of Queen Elizabeth, accession of James I the first Stuart king of England, Union of the Scottish and English Crowns. 1605: Gunpowder Plot, a failed attempt by Catholic extremists to assassinate the King and the Members of Parliament

„…one of the most influential cultural events of the seventeenth century: the new English translation of the Bible. If, indeed, tradition is formed by the perpetuation of systems of ideas, then, surely, English tradition and Western European culture in general owe a major debt to the 1611 publication of the King James Version of the Bible.” –Gloria K. Fiero The Humanistic Tradition

„…to feel their thought immediately as the odour of a rose. ” (T. S „…to feel their thought immediately as the odour of a rose.” (T.S. Eliot) John Donne George Herbert

Metaphysical poetry: a term coined by john dryden to apply to 17th century poets (donne, herbert) --colloquial language (as opposed to the smoothness of Elizabethan poetry) --the poem takes the form of a philosophical or scientific argument with another person --the poem brings in a range of discordant images and ideas often involving blasphemy --density of metaphorical expression; exhibition of wit and ingenuity* *Gray

Conceit (Concetto): a figure of speech that establishes an elaborate parallel between two seemingly dissimilar or remote objects or ideas. Wit: originally: ‘intellect’, ‘intelligence’, later meaning ‘creative intelligence’ or poetical rather than intellectual power. More specifically, the terms is used to describe the poetic style of John Donne and his followers who combine or contrast ideas or objects in an unexpected, paradoxical, and intellectually challenging and pleasing manner.* *from the lecture notes

John Donne 1571-1631 Born and raised Roman Catholic (mother was great- niece of Sir Thomas More) Studied at Oxford and Cambridge (didn’t graduate because he refused to take oath of supremacy); also studied law Traveled widely before converting to Anglicanism and becoming a priest; fought with Sir Walter Raleigh against the Spanish at Cadiz Secretly married Anne More, 12 children Patronage under Sir Robert Drury Dean of Saint Paul’s Cathedral, also served as an MP Developed the sermon as vehicle for philosophic meditation

Saint Paul’s Cathedral (Christopher Wren)

„all mankind is of one author, and is one volume…any man’s death diminishes me, because i am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” –from meditation 17

Holy Sonnet 14 Batter my heart, three-person'd God, for you As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend; That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new. I, like an usurp'd town to another due, Labor to admit you, but oh, to no end; Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend, But is captiv'd, and proves weak or untrue. Yet dearly I love you, and would be lov'd fain, But am betroth'd unto your enemy; Divorce me, untie or break that knot again, Take me to you, imprison me, for I, Except you enthrall me, never shall be free, Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

„One of the great insights of Donne’s new attitude to love is that a love-relationship constitutes an experience knowable only by the two people involved in it.” –The Oxford Illustrated History of English Literature

THE GOOD-MORROW I WONDER by my troth, what thou, and I Did, till we lov’d? were we not wean’d till then? But suck’d on countrey pleasures, childishly? Or snorted we in the seaven sleepers den? T’was so; But this, all pleasures fancies bee. If ever any beauty I did see, Which I desir’d, and got, t’was but a dreame of thee. And now good morrow to our waking soules, Which watch not one another out of feare;

For love, all love of other sights controules, And makes one little roome, an every where. Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone, Let Maps to other, worlds on worlds have showne, Let us possesse one world, each hath one, and is one. My face is thine eye, thine in mine appeares, And true plaine hearts doe in the faces rest, Where can we finde two better hemispheares Without sharpe North, without declining West? What ever dyes, was not mixt equally; If our two loves be one, or, thou and I Love so alike, that none doe slacken, none can die.

George Herbert 1593-1633 Born into artistic and wealthy family; mother was a patron of John Donne, who was George’s godfather Studied at Trinity college, Cambridge Rector of St. Andrews Church in Salisbury Helped to rebuild the church from his own funds; he and his wife adopted three children

Saint Andrews Church at Bemerton

Love (III) BY GEORGE HERBERT Love bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back Guilty of dust and sin. But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack From my first entrance in, Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning, If I lacked any thing.

A guest, I answered, worthy to be here: Love said, You shall be he. I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear, I cannot look on thee. Love took my hand, and smiling did reply, Who made the eyes but I? Truth Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame Go where it doth deserve. And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame? My dear, then I will serve. You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat: So I did sit and eat.