Metaphysical Poetry Essay Example

Metaphysical Poetry Essay Metaphysical poetry to a full sense expresses the simplest experiences from the surface of life such as love, joy, hate, anger, sex, politics, religion and peace through a philosophical and logical perspective. This certainly adds extra depth and complexity to each of these life experiences. Metaphysical poetry almost takes these simple elements of life which may sometimes be taken as insignificant, and expands them out through philosophy and logic instructing us to view the bigger picture of life. The term metaphysical fell upon a group of men in the 17th century ( by John Dryden) who were mainly known as Donne, Marvell, Vaughan, and Traherne; these men were all labelled as metaphysical poets as they all shared similar characteristics in their poetry like their strong wit and inventiveness, also their use of extreme hyperbole and very sharp conceits; this made them quite a contrast to the smooth and sweet tones of the 16th century instead they took an energetic, rigorous and rough s tyle; which acquired ones intellect rather than emotion, totally discarding mysticism and intuition. Their energetic and uneven style may have possibly been due to their logical reasoning of subjects which brought out the subject in a very honest and straight forward manner, which at the time was interpreted as uneven. Even though the meanings of these poems are very simple and direct there are constant comparison and reference to mathematics, psychology, astrology and a lot more scientific explorations. This is also another property of metaphysical poetry- a constant comparison to plenty of intellectual themes, which makes these poems like mind games or intellectual workouts called epigrams. The two poems which I am comparing are by Andrew Marvell and John Donne whom are both metaphysical poets from different backgrounds. The poet John Donne is the probably the greatest metaphysical poet, he was born in 1572 in Bread Street, London into a flourishing Catholic family- which was quite an issue at that time. His father, a well-off ironmonger suddenly died in 1576 (just four years after Donne was born); consequently leaving three children with his wife Elizabeth (daughter of John Heywood). Later on Donne and his younger brother Henry were entered into Hart Hall, University of Oxford. Donne studied at Oxford for three years and then left to study at Cambridge for another three years; but he never managed to do a degree at either because he refused to take the oath of supremacy which immobilized a lot of Catholics from graduating. From 1591-92 Donne decided to go and study Law as a member of Lincolns inn, from there on it was quite clear that he was going to embark on a legal or diplomatic career. Though in 1593 Donnes Brother Henry died from fever in a prison after he had been arrested for giving refuge to a proscribed Catholic priest. This changed Donne immensely and encouraged him to doubt his faith. The immense pain that Donne had endured triggered great inspiration for his first book of poems satires. Then during 1596 he joined the naval expedition which the earl of Essex led against Cadiz, Spain and then Azores the following year. We will write a custom essay sample on Metaphysical Poetry specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Metaphysical Poetry specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Metaphysical Poetry specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This was also another great inspiration which lead Donne to write The Calm. In 1598 Donne returned to England and he was immediately appointed as private secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton (Lord Keeper of the great seal). But in 1601 Donne life was turned up side down as he stumbled across love and shattered all his hopes of worldly gains. He fell in love with 17 year old Anne Moore, the niece of lady Egerton, and father of Sir George Moore (lieutenant of the Tower). He secretly got married but then was found out and was thrown to fleet prison by her father. He was then thrown off his post by Sir Egerton, and then for the next dozen years he struggled to support his vastly growing family. But then in 1906 Donne made reconciliation with his father in law who was persuaded into paying his daughters dowry, and from then on Donne earned a skimpy living as a lawyer, serving Thomas Morton an anti-Catholic pamphleteer, through this period of time Donne write the Devine Poems and they were only published many years later. As Donne was approaching the age of forty and he had published two anti-catholic polemics grasping the favor of King James. Donne went on to be tremendously successful, but just as he got to the height of his success; Donne was struck painfully through his wifes death on the 15th of August 1519. Anne Donne died early in life at the age of thirty three after giving to their 12th child, a still born. Once again Donne was struck by the stirring pain of death. The seeds of pain were buried deep within his unconscious and grew into beautiful flowers also known as the Holy Sonnets and the especially touching seventeenth Holy Sonnet. From their on, in the words of Izaak Walton (a friend and Biographer): Donne was crucified to the world. Love poems were no longer his concern. In 1621 he was appointed to be Dean of Saint Paul, he held this post until he died. Donne began to go into writing his private meditations; Devotions upon emergent occasions, which were all written whilst he was suffering from a serious illness. By now Donne was completely obsessed with the idea of death and so he writes Deaths Duel just a f ew weeks before his actual death. His death arrives upon his doorstep like a lost friend he had been craving to meet, and hand in hand with death he parted from this world without any resistance on March 31st 1631. The very last poem by Donne was Hymn to God, My God, In My Sickness. One of the poems in which I am investigating is by John Donne; its called the The Sun Rising. The theme of this poem is evidently to do with love, though I believe the poem is quite lustful beneath a romantic coat. There are a mixture of tones in this poem which are mainly based around the rude interruptions of the unruly Sun and the passion he possesses for his mistress. He exaggerates his passion and anger through the use of hyperbole, conceits, imagery, rhetorical gestures, and other literary mechanisms. The opening lines are placed under apostrophes Busy old fool, unruly sun, Why dost thou thus, Through windows and through curtains call on us with the use apostrophe Donne plunges the reader into his own reality. He exclaims at the sun, making direct personification that its a busy old fool. In a very angry and pestered tone Donne says that the Sun is interfering and ignorant busy, and cannot understand the young lovers in bed old fool. Then the term unruly pops up, which once m ore expresses that the Sun a nuisance and is very disruptive, but also a powerful character; as it out of control (unruly; cannot be ruled). Again in an angry but questioning tone Why dost thou thus, Through windows and through curtains call on us, this is the actual concern of the poem; why does the sun shine through the windows and interrupt Donnes unfinished business with his mistress. In these opening lines a representation of the sun is shown that its almost like a bully; pestering and interfering though powerful and uncontrollable. These opening lines definitely grabbed attention as it was a contradiction to the usual 16th century literature, where the Sun was perceived as a celestial object of respect. Now Donne goes onto giving orders to the Sun in a much pestered tone. Saucy pedantic wretch, go chide He says the Sun is rude; saucy also fussy and petty; pedantic. He tells the Sun to go and bother someone else-go chide. He represents the sun as being a narrow minded and an ignorant character. But with the use of saucy other characteristic pops up: It could image the Sun as a sly and sneaky spy, through windows and through curtains spying on the two lovers; further within these lines we find a lusty undertone. Why else would he call the Sun saucy unless he was spying on some sort of sexual act, almost like a peeping Tom. Donne carries on disrespecting the Sun by commanding it to go and pester late school boys and sour prentices who need it; indirectly telling the Sun that is all it is worth. He tells the Sun to go and supervise Court huntsmen and the country ants that are actually directly affected by the Suns actions. Within this we find another hidden meaning, it is probably classed as a sexual pun. Which transforms this poem to being lustful rather than romantic: Go tell court- huntsmen that the king will ride this is not only a command to the Sun, but also a sexual undertone with the line King will ride; to ride a horse with its pulse and motions, has long been a metaphor to show sexual activity. After telling the Sun off, Donne began to descend into a tone of pride and self satisfaction. He boasts that unlike the country ants his love was constant and strong through out whatever seaso n or climate; love all alike, no seasons know, nor clime. And unlike the Sun the love that he possessed wasnt categorized into different quantities of time (because the Sun had to follow a certain time schedule; orbit) Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time. Continuing with a tone of pride he rhetorically asks; Thy beams so reverend and strong, Why shouldst you think? meaning What makes you think youre beams are so strong and powerful. Donne uses this rhetorical question to assert his power. Then he asserts his power even more by commenting: I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink he is saying that he can overshadow the Sun power (light) with a mere wink; but he wouldnt do that because he wouldnt bare to not see her: But I would not loose her sight so long: If her eyes have not blinded thine with an extract of hyperbole Donne says that his mistresses eyes are brighter than the Sun. This undermined his argument a little, because if wasnt for those beams of light he wouldnt be able to see his mistress at all. I think that Donne was aware of this ludicrous assertion; he seems to be highlighting the flaws of his argument against the Sun, perhaps to emphasize the foolishness of a person in love. His praise to his mistress continues through the use of a strong hyperbole. He asks the Sun Look, and tomorrow late tell me, whether both thIndias of spice and mine, Be where you lefts them, or lie here with me. He asks of the Sun to go round his orbit, from the West Indies which g rasps Gold mines, to the East Indies which holds expensive spices and perfumes and then see if thats where the true wealth lies or does true wealth lie in Donnes bed. Donne is arrogantly saying that all here in one bed lay all the wealth and royalty in the world. In this strong hyperbole he compares his mistress to the exotic places, which sort of expresses to the reader how attractive he believes his mistress is. Donne tries to compare his world between him and his mistress to the outer world. A microcosm has been developed, Shes all states and princes I; Nothing else is. He has compared his love life to the outer life, placing his mistress as the states and hes the princes who govern the states; this also brings out the man and woman relationship in his own microcosm. In a tone occupied with pride, Donne affirms that he and his mistress are not only greater to the master of the sky but everything else as well. Princes he sneers do but play us. He declared that all honors mimic of the reverence he and his mistress share, that all wealth alchemy to the radiance of love, and that the Sun is half as happy as this couple. I think that its quite clear that Donne is aware of his foolishness. But his eloquent lines are purely for the benefit of his love. She silently receives his words as the sun silently rebuts them; as the Sun cannot be stopped the arrogant lover pretends to grant the Sun leave to remain, because he feels sorry for him as he is old: Thine age asks ease, and since thy duties be To warm the world, thats done in warming us. He cunningly twists the Suns refusal into a show of his generosity. If the Sun is determined to warm the whole world, then the speaker would make his job easier for the Sun by permitting him to stay Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere, this bed thy centre is, these walls thy sphere The idea of microcosm has hugely developed here as Donne believes that in order for the Sun to warm this world you can warm his bedroom. The last two lines also imply romance, as the sun is rotating around the two lovers, who Donne declares passionately to be all states, and all princes. . . nothing else is. and is significantly passionate. Yet this is undermined by the title, which says that the sun is rising to a new day after a night of being together, which certainly further implies sexual activity. Indeed, despite its romantic qualities, invoking the bed the lovers share as the center of the suns orbits has a clear sensual tinge; it is as if the sexual activity of the lovers is the center of the world, for what else is a bed the symbol of, if not sex? Andrew Marvell was born after John Donne in March the 31st 1621 exactly ten years after Donne died. Marvell was born in Winestead in Holderness, Yorkshire. But Marvell was educated at Cambridge where he received an inheritance upon his fathers death that gave him four years to travel the continent. Marvell wasnt a puritan himself but he supported them during the civil war and he held a number of posts for example becoming the assistant of John Milton whom was blind and who was Cromwells Latin secretary. Then in 1659, Marvell was elected to parliament where he served until his death. In parliament he expressed strong disagreements against the government in a series of outspoken and anonymously printed satires. And it was because of these political satires rather than his love poems that Andrew Marvell has become so famous. Marvell died on the 16th of August 1678 of tertian ague and the unprofessional conduct of the attending surgeon. The Poem in which I am analyzing is by Andrew Marvell, its called To His Coy Mistress which was written between 1650 and 1653, when Marvell was around 29 to 32 years of age. Andrew Marvell writes a sophisticated poem that is not only targeted to his coy mistress but to the audience as well. The main concern of this poem is that time is unavoidably passing and Marvell wishes for his mistress to act upon his desire and have a sexual relationship with him. Marvell constantly proposes to the reader and his mistress that they must act upon their desires, and not to hesitate anymore but to seize the moment, make the most of their youth before time expires, overall it is this concern that provokes the persuading tone of this poem which is clearly evident. In order to persuade his mistress Marvell uses a dramatic sense of imagery and exaggeration. In the very first two lines; a rhyming couplet, Marvell puts forward his argument: Had we but the world enough, and time, this coyness, Lady, were no crime. He is saying that it would be fine to have a slow and absorbing relationship- but theyre simply isnt enough time! Marvells opening lines are first of all to lay the introduction to his argument. And secondly flatter and impress his mistress, though maybe he has gone to hyperbolic with this (too over the top) as it seems that he is being ironic (or sarcastic), because its as if he is saying: If we were to live forever, I could spend a great deal of time seducing you. Quite obviously, they wont live forever, and Marvell knows this before he even begins his flattery. Also through his use of language we can distinguish that he is very pestered by his mistresss coyness as he labels it as a crime. In these first lines as well as investing in his persuasive tone Marvell also employs a fun and playful tone, this is recognised by his play with words through the use of alliteration, such as; we and world in the first line. Coyness and crime in the second line. In the next lines he tries to woo his lady even more by telling her that he would take his time to be romantic; we would sit down and think which way, to walk and pass our long love day. Again this was presented in a very playfu l tone as alliteration like; we would and which way in one line. And long loves day in the other. Marvell now uses a hyperbole and imagery to impress and flatter his mistress even more, in the lines: Thou by the Indian Ganges side shouldst rubies find I by the tide, of Humber would complain, he is telling his mistress what he would do for her if only he had time. But these lines also indirectly express what he thinks of her. He relates may be relating her to exotic places (river Ganges) to demonstrate to mistress and the reader her beauty. Though on the same time he is expressing her coyness to the relation of the river Ganges which is holy river (for the Hindus) and also to the fact that he finds rubies which symbolises her preserved virginity; as that is what rubies were thought to do. Marvell also tries to place his mistress as high importance by putting him self less than her; less exotic: I by the tide of Humber would complain. This line is very clever because it actually is where Marvell lived as a boy, and where he served as an M.P for more than twenty years. Again Marvell uses a clever conceit and hyperbole to explain the time span in which he would love his mistress in: I would love you ten years before the flood , and you should if you please, refuse till the conversion of the Jews. To flatter her even more he says he would love her from The great flood (which consisted of Noah to taking in the animals two by two) that took place a thousands of years ago till the conversion of the Jews which is suppose to take place at the end of the world. Though I think that in these lines Marvell attempts to impress his mistress rather than to flatter because he alludes to biblical history and geography as if to assert his worldliness and intelligence. Now Marvell goes back into the track of flattering his mistress through this hyperbolic imagery: My vegetable love should grow vaster than empires, and more slow. Vegetables only get larger and riper as they grow, corresponding to his love, which will very slowly like vegetables into vast empires. An empire is a symbol of strength, and to say that his love will grow vaster and stronger than an empire is a great hyperbolic complement to his mistress. The next set of lines sort of outlines the agenda of this poem: A hundred years should go to praise thine eyes, and thy forehead gaze, two hundred to adore each breast, but thirty thousand to the rest; an age at least to every part, and the last age should show your heart. Still in a playful and persuasive tone, he begins to immensely flatter physical attraction as he moves down her body almost as if he is sexually visualising her. Whilst doing this the numbers increase as they reach more sexual parts of her body into finally an age is given to every part, which totally outlines how much he is lusting for her rather than how much he loves her. But in the end the last age would show her heart, which could articulate her heart (personality) as being quite insignificant or it could contrast in stating that its the most valuable because in the previous lines the years of praise were increasing to reach the most valuable. To end his fun and playful tone, Marvell expresses one last flattery; For lady you deserve this state, nor would I love at lower rate he is saying that this is what she deserves and nothing less. In the next stanza the teasing and playful tone modifies into a serious tone, which tries to persuade her by slightly frightening her of the negative outcomes of being coy. The opening to the second stanza not only opens with a more serious tone. But also Marvell puts forward the middle/ second section of his argument; the first section being- its alright to be coy and preserved if we had more time. The middle section of his argument is- but the problem is that we dont have enough time. This is portrayed in the highly witty conceit; but at my back I will always hear times winged chariot hurrying near. Marvell uses an interesting image when he tries to suggest to his coy mistress that death is near but he replaces the word death for a more gentle and delicate term of times winged chariot (a c onnotation), to prevent the coy mistress from getting frightened. A winged chariot is unreal because chariots are ground transportations and its also a link to roman mythology: Apollos flying chariot which drove the Sun. It is used as a metaphor or a witty conceit to express the speed of time (a winged chariot could most probably move fast), and for the inevitability of time (the sun rises and sets regularly every day). This metaphor develops and enhances the clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ that time flies and sets the darker tone of the second section of Marvells argument. Once again Marvell uses imagery to fully activate the readers attention; and yonder all before us lie deserts of vast eternity. What do deserts of vast eternity look like? Maybe its the age in which he would worship his mistresses every part. Or what if the times winged chariot was hurrying near to the last age were her heart would show. The poem has advanced from ten years before the flood into eternity. Marvell says what use is your beauty, its as useless sound trying to escape from a marbl e vault: Thy beauty shall no more be found, nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound. Marvell uses a conceit to emphasis how useless her beauty will be if they do not give in to their desires. Further, all his worries, his echoing song is that he doesnt want her to die a virgin, as its all for her own good (in Marvells point of view) to let him have her long preserved virginity rather than let the worms have it, because then your quaint honour turn to dust, meaning that all her elegance wont mean anything when the she dies a virgin. This idea is reinforced by the revolting and disturbing imagery that goes along with it, of her rotting body with worms all over it, and the word dust also takes part to build this frightening imagery. Whilst he says; and your quaint honour turn to dust he follows it up with and into ashes all my lust. This basically translates into As well as your elegance and dignity turning to dust when you die a virgin, all my desires for you will turn to ashes. He tries to create a connection between himself with his mistress by saying that they both loose something, and also by using two similar words dust (her dignity) and ashes (his lust). There is also another imagery within and into ashes all my lust. Marvell makes it look like his desire for her was very passionate, almost like a ball of fire that burnt away into ashes, due to her coyness. Then Marvell takes the old imagery of a grave and reactivates it again, in the line: the grave is a fine and private place, but none I think do there embrace. He reactivates the grave imagery once more to hold the attention of the reader and also to really emphasis what would happen if was to die a virgin and not have sex with him. In that line he basically says, in a slight sarcastic tone; yes, sure if you want to die a virgin, why not? After all the grave is a fine and private place, but I dont think anyone will embrace down their. Now we arrive at the third stanza, where Marvell brings us to the third section of his argument, the conclusion. We recognise it as a conclusion due to two very simple words; Now therefore The third/ concluding part of his argument is: As its quite clear that we dont of all the time in the world, why not make the most of our youth. This argument is brought up and highlighted with the use of a simile while the youthful hue sits on thy skin like morning dew This simile is quite a standard comparison of the mistresss nature; the morning dew (actually glew-glow), like the mistresss nature is short-lived. Over all I think that both are to do with love, although To His Coy Mistress was a more lustful poem than The Sun Rising, or it may have been more explicit about its lustfulness. Because The Sun Rising also contained some lusty, though Donne did not directly target them at his mistress instead he laid them down very secretly with in his puns that were targeted at the sun. For example the part where the king will ride as I explained before. Though Marvell made some lustful gestures directly at his mistress, for example two hundred years to adore each breast. Maybe this is because Donne had already bedded his mistress which may have took the spotlight off sex little in his poem. Overall, due to these factors The Sun Rising is the more romantic of the two. Both of these poems used hyperboles to do with time themes. In Marvells poem he uses the hyperbole; vaster than empires and more slow. Empires are seen to be strong, so he uses love and compares its greatness to and empire. But in the The Sun Rising far more appropriate hyperboles are used as it uses measures that are far more natural in order to portray a continuation in time love all alike, no seasons knows nor clime, nor hours, days, months which are the rags of time. This shows that when two people are facing true love; time often flows by quickly, sometimes with no meaning. There were also very obviously different tones in each poem, because of their different concerns. Donnes tone was quite pestered, aggressive and scornful, as the opening line portrait; busy old fool, unruly sun or sometimes he used rhetorical questions to assert his power; thy beams so reverend and strong, why shouldst thou think? Donnes tone didnt change tremendously through out the poem, but he did sometimes descend into an arrogant and boastful tone; shes all states and princes I. Marvells tone was in general quite persuasive. Initially as well as having a persuasive tone he also had a fun and playful tone, this was evident t hrough his use of alliteration in the opening lines. But from the second stanza onward he still possessed a persuasive tone, but he eliminated his playful tone and replaced it with a more serious, and dark tone; as he kept reminding the mistress of death: But at my back I can always hear times winged chariot hurrying near. There is also a constant reference to the Sun in each poem. Donne refers to the Sun because it is the cause of concern of his poem, because the sun through windows and through curtains calls on him and mistress whilst they are trying to relax. Whereas Marvell relates to Sun as a tool of time, that provides him and his mistress with time; thus thou we cannot make our Sun, meaning we cannot make more time. But there is one thing in which both the poets are fully related on: The praise of their mistresses. The romantic Donne compared his mistress to being equivalent of the wealth of both thIndies. Where as the saucy Marvell visualised his naked mistress head to toe and promised an age at least to praise every part of he r body!