A Critical Essay on Metaphysical Poetry

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Introduction

The term, Metaphysical Poetry has been derived from the word Metaphysics. Which separately means beyond the physical and natural world where there we live. Metaphysics tries to answer philosophical questions like does God really exists? What is the actual reality of our world of substance? What is the origin of man? And what happens after death. 

On the other hand, Metaphysical Poetry does the opposite to what Metaphysics promises to do. Metaphysical Poetry is a kind of poetry in which a poet pictures his emotions through the means of far-fetched conceits, intellectual analysis and dramatic action (in some cases). It was Dryden who first used the term Metaphysical Poetry to describe the metaphysical properties in Donne's poetry. Dr. Johnson further performed critical analysis on Donne's poetry denoting that it is the style that makes Donne's poetry metaphysical, not the subject matter. But he criticized Donne and other poets who followed the path of Donne as their poetry was a manifestation of their learning, not of their emotions towards their beloveds.

About the beginning of the seventeenth century appeared a race of writers that may be termed the metaphysical poets. The metaphysical poets were men of learning, and to show their learning was their whole endeavour: but, unluckily resolving to show it in rhyme, instead of writing poetry, they only wrote verses and very often such verses as stood the trial of the finger better than of the ear; for the modulation was so imperfect that they were only found to be verses by counting the syllables.

But in reality, the statement of Dr. Johnson is rather based on prejudice and exaggeration. 

Characteristics of Metaphysical Poetry

Metaphysical Poetry is distinguished by some traits of its own. Here are some notable characteristics: 

• Difficulty: Metaphysical poetry, usually, is very difficult to understand for a common person because a metaphysical poet shows a comparison between two varying concepts or things (that makes no sense for a layman). 
• Intellectual: Metaphysical poetry is intellectual in its nature because it is a product of a poet's analysis of his experiences and emotions. 
• Fusion of Emotion and Intellect: Metaphysical poetry is a combination of both intellectual as well as emotional thoughts and feelings. Therefore, a metaphysical poet is both a classic and a romantic simultaneously because they used their head and heart. 
• Full of Conceits: Conceits or far-fetched comparisons are the soul of the metaphysical poetry. It is difficult for the metaphysical poetry to exist without conceits. 
• Argumentative: Metaphysical poetry is argumentative in a sense because it is a bold show of the subtle evolution of thoughts. Then metaphysical poets give arguments like a lawyer to prove their unrecognizable evolution of thoughts. 
• Originality: Metaphysical poetry is original. It was not produced as a copy of an already established mode of poetry. It was a creative and subtle work of the poets like John Donne. 
• Unusual Imagery: Metaphysical poetry is illustrated by the unique Images of its own. The images mostly contradict or have no apparent resemblance in a comparison but it is the style of metaphysical poets that adds a connection between the corresponding Images. 
• Dramatic: Metaphysical poetry is a drama of ideas. It's dramatic in the sense of being an argumentative confession of one's emotions. A metaphysical poet uses the tool of argumentation to create a dramatic atmosphere. 

John Donne as a Metaphysical Poet

John Donne, who opened his eyes in 1537 and died in 1631, is considered to be the leader of metaphysical poets. But Donne was more than a poet. He was a Dean of St. Paul and his main duty was to deliver religious sermons, yet Donne wrote poetry on higher subjects. His famous works may include as under: 

1. The Progress of Soul
2. An Anatomy of the World (Elegy)
3. Epithalamium
4. Songs and Sonnets
5. Divine Poems

While the poetry composed by John Donne can be divided into three parts: 

1. Amorous (Of Love)
2. Metaphysical
3. Satirical

Amorous Poetry

Amorous Poetry is the type of poetry that deals with the concept of love and how love influences our lives. Before Donne, love was portrayed in a colourful painting of eternal bliss and beloveds were sketched without any flaws in them. But Donne, through his own version of Love Poetry, presented a realistic picture of love, lover and his beloved. In Donne's realm of love, no lover or the beloved is flawless. Therefore, his love poetry is his revolt against the Elizabethan traditions of painting an idealistic picture of love. Therefore, his version of Love is not Petrarchan, rather Platonic.

Metaphysical and Divine Poetry

It is Donne's metaphysical poetry that tries to connect the human soul with its creator metaphysically. But it is also the metaphysical element in Donne's poetry that makes his verses difficult to comprehend for a common reader. Because the content and the Images Donne uses in his poems was not well-recognized by the general public at that time.

The Progress of Soul is the first metaphysical work of Donne in which he presents the idea of the migration of the soul from a bird to a fish. The idea was new to the public of that time. Therefore, Donne's metaphysical caricaturing entitled him to be as complex a poet as Robert Browning(as compared to an easy poet like Lord Tennyson) of the Victorian Era. Both the poets had a love for metaphysical taste and enriched their poems with rhythmic music. But Donne was a poet of wit while Browning was a poet of passion. 

Donne's poetry is devoid of the Elizabethan sweetness of rhythm and music. He introduced a rather harsh level of poetry. Donne had a strong influence over his followers and Elizabethan poets were eclipsed by the witty poetry of Donne. 

Like Browning, Donne does not sympathize with the readers. He did not care if readers were able to grasp his metaphysical references. Donne's poetry is difficult because of its excessive terseness (brevity). 

A Detailed Note on Love Poetry

Donne's love poetry is a revolt against the Elizabethan traditions of love. Elizabethans were the Petrarchan in their expression of love. Petrarchan Poetry of love is characterized by the element of woman worship in it. Many reverend poets of Elizabethan age were tempted to praise different physical traits of the body of a woman, be it her eyes, face, the colour of her hair and her height. Petrarchan poets painted their beloveds as the indifferent creatures devoid of the feelings of love towards their lovers. Petrarchan poets used the images of common universal (like sun and moon) and earth to praise the physical features of their beloved. For example, Shakespeare uses the imagery of a pleasant summer day to praise the gentle companionship of his beloved,

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

John Donne revolted against the Petrarchan show of love through sensual realism in his (metaphysical) poetry. Donne was against the one-sided version of Love. He believed that sensuous as well as spiritual compatibility is essential for a satisfactory relationship between the lover and his beloved. There are various modes present in the poetry of John Donne. 

Cynical Strain

At first, the love poetry of John Donne appears to broadcast his cynical views on the unfaithfulness of women whom he loved (passionately). For instance, in his poem, The Flea, Donne is asking to his beloved for her sensual favour which is eventually rejected by his lady, he eventually grows bitter at it. 

Cruel and sudden, hast thou since
Purpled thy nail, in blood of innocence? 
Wherein could this flea guilty be,
Except in that drop which it sucked from thee?   

Conjugal Strain

In this phase of love poetry, Donne grows affection for his wife and his cynicism is rather put on control. He seems to find peace in love. A Valediction: Forbidden Mourning and The Sunne Rising are the prime examples of the very strain. 

Platonic Strain

Platonic love favours spiritual connection between the soul of the lovers. This kind of love is typically shown before and after the marriage. For example, in Canonization, Donne perceives love as a holy passion. 

Reflective Strain

Another mode of Donne's love poetry is his reflective strain. It is reflective in the sense of a show of Donne's innermost emotions that are governed by the experiences of the poet himself. It is worth noting that John Donne had relationships with various girls during his adulthood. So, his experience of love should have been vast enough to convey it through the poems he wrote. 

Style

Donne had masterfully played with the style of rhymes and stanzas in his poetry. Donne was not contented on the abandoning of Petrarchan love, but, he was eager to deviate from the style of the poems, exercised by the poets of the Elizabethan era. It is said that Donne played with 40 different forms of stanzas in his poetry. 

A Detailed Note on Divine Poetry of John Donne

John Donne had been an ardent religious person in his life. In fact, he did not consider his poetry important despite its distinctive approach to both love and religion. When he opened his eyes, he was a follower of the Roman Catholic Church. But he was sceptical regarding the code of the very religion. He, then, converted to the Protestant branch of Christianity. He became a Dean at St. Paul and his primary duty was to deliver sermons. But Donne also wrote many religious poems to show his personal attachment to God. He remained doubtful of his Faith. Most of his religious poems focus at his repentance of the sins that he might have committed in the past or will commit in future. 

Introspection

Introspection is a combination of two words, internal and inspection which literally means internal inspection. Through religious poetry John Donne inspects his relationship and association with the God Whom he thinks is the right light. Just like the Love Poetry of Donne dealt with the inspection of his relationship with his beloved, Donne puts him own personality at the trial to know about the true reality between himself and God. 

Themes

The religious poetry of John Donne is characterized by the themes that Donne implies to convey his connection with the God. The first prominent theme of his religious poems are the frailty and decay of the universe. In the grand scheme of the Universe, nothing is permanent. The world of ours shall go to the ruins one day. The second prominent theme of Donne's religious poetry is the insignificance of Man in the hands of God. Just like the temporary world, Man is himself temporarily staying in the crowded void of the earth and he shall be consumed by death one day. Fear of death is yet another notable theme that is present in the poetry of Donne. When Donne is in his adulthood, he feels afraid of death but as he grows up, his fear of death bids a farewell to him that can be traced in his poem, Death be not Proud. 

Variety of Tones

Just like love poetry, the religious poetry of John Donne is recognized by the different modes it exhibits. The two modes are debatory and profoundness. Donne also uses his unmatched ability of wit to create a pleasant effect of wordplay. Grierson comments on the religious poetry of Donne as thus,

To be didactic is never the first intention of Donne’s religious poems, but rather, to express himself, to analyze and lay bare his own moods of agitation, of aspiration and of humiliation, in the quest of God, and the surrender of his soul to Him. The same erudite and surprising imagery, the same passionate, and reasoning strain, meet us in both. 

Sex Imagery

Sensual imagery is vividly used in the poetry of love but it is strange to find sexual images in the religious poetry of John Donne. For instance, in Batter my Heart, Three Person'd God, Donne pleads to God to attack the devil who has corrupted his soul. There are images like divorce, bend and blow which are somewhat amorous. 

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
... 
But am betroth'd unto your enemy;
Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me,

Minor Poets of Metaphysical Poetry

Other poets of the Metaphysical school of thought may include as under: 

Robert Herrik (1591 - 1674)

Herrik wrote both amorous as well as religious poems. But he is recalled for his poems of love. Although his poetry mostly resembles the Elizabethan spirit, it is his thoughtful fantasy and meditative strain that is present in his religious poetry is that makes him a metaphysical poet. 

Thomas Carew (1598 - 1639)

Carew is recalled for the strong influence of Donne. He was a fineslyric writer of the age to which he belonged. Although his poetry may lack the freshness of Herrik, yet his poems are well-rhymed. 

Richard Crawshaw (1613 - 1639)

Crashaw selected a different path as compared to Carew and Herrik. He entirely wrote religious poems. His famous work is The Flaming Heart. 

Henry Vaughan (1622 - 1695)

Henry was as mystic a poet as Crashaw, but he was equally at home in sacred as well as secular poetry. 

George Herbert (1593 - 1633)

George Herbert is the second most read metaphysical poet after John Donne. He is famous due to the clarity of expression and transparency in the conceits he uses. His religious poetry is simple and didactic. 

Conclusion

Metaphysical poetry was kept alive by the metaphysical poets carrying their own distinctive approach to the emotions of love and spirituality. We see the spirit of a Puritan in their religious poetry. While we witness an amorous flow of love just like Elizabethans. Some metaphysical poets sought comfort in love while others sought a permanent refuge into the spiritual realm of their own. While Donne exercised his passion and emotions of both physical love and divine love in his metaphysical poetry, giving it a different meaning to metaphysics that we know today. 

Sources and Suggested Readings

1. Lectures of Sir Fazal
2. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Donne
3. A New History of English Literature by B. R. Mullick - The Puritan Age - The Poets of Metaphysical School - Page 55