Write a short note on metaphysical poetry?

Write a note on Metaphysical Poetry?

Metaphysical poetry began Carly in the Jacobean Age, i.e., in the
last stage of the Age of Shakespeare. Donne was the leader and founder
of the Metaphysical school of poetry. He led the new way of writing poetry
as a reaction against the conventional poetry of the Spenserian. It was
Dr. Johnson who christened Donne and his followers The Metaphysical
pots." This title was borrowed by Dr. Johnson from Dryden's famous
phrase "Donne affects the metaphysical not only in his satires but in his
amorous verses.
The title was given not by way of commendation, but in a derisive
way because Dr. Johnson had no appreciation for the fantastic concise
which these metaphysical poets displayed in their poetry. Dr. Johnson
condemned this school of poets, because of the habit, common to the
school of poets, of always specking to express something after something
behind the simple obvious first sense of a subject. They were affected
the ingenuity, the subtlety, and what Johnson calls the "Watch for-novel
which distinguish Donne, for instance, from the straight forward sentiment
and lucid imagery of the Elizabethans. The following are the m
characteristics of the Metaphysical poetry of this Age. The works of
(i) their religious, amatory tones:
(ii) there is much metrical facility, even in complicate lyrical stanzas;
 (iii) the poetic style is sometimes utmost startling in
sudden beauty of phrase and melody of diction, but there arc unexpected
turns of language and figures of speech (hence the name of the
group of poets have several features in common.

The Metaphysical, poets were mes of learning and to sh
earning was their chief object. In Metaphysical poetry we com
obscure and recondite references and the vast learning is twisted
a manner that it becomes very difficult for a reader to follow
poet really intends to say. Metaphysical poetry was purely intellect
 an appeal to the intellectuals. The thoughts of the metaphysics
Poets were olten new, but seldom natural. "They saw beneath the s
of life, and illuminated the deeper places with revealing flashes
devoting their intellect and imagination to reflection upon God and t
relation to him, they produced what is by no means common in
literature, great religious poetry. For religious poetry of such intensity
spiritual insight as this group of poets wrote we can turn chew here
to such isolated poets as Francis Thompson and Alice Clemency."
Metaphysical poets saw acute resemblances in things appaready
unlike. They introduced far-fetched images which could not be cas
understood by the reader. Their constant aim was to produce stories and
for this purpose they introduced images of an extraordinary character
which could not be understood easily.
In Metaphysical poetry conceits abound and the poet take
delight in indulging in expressions marked with obscure and unintelligible
conceits. Donne was the great Metaphysical poet who taught his followers
to indulge in conceits and witticism in poetry. The Metaphysical conceit
arose from intellectual process of thinking in figures. Conceit is an
instrument by which a metaphysical poet reveals his wit. Conceit is a
literary term which means a strained or far-fetched comparison of literary
figure. Conceits were also employed by Elizabethan poets and dramatists
but those were commonly in-the nature of ornamentation. We can easily
present some of the conceits of metaphysical poetry from Donne's poetry.
In the poem Autumnall Donne compares Mr. Herbert's wrinkles to love's
graves, for love sits there like an achorite in a trench. He is of the opinion
that Love is not there digging a grave but building a tomb because when
she dies Love will die consequently. Again, his poem The Sun Rising is
full of metaphysical conceits. In expressing his contempt for the Sun, the
poet displays all his learning and metaphysical wit, and extravagant
conceits are employed in glorifying his beloved. He remarks about his
wife, "both the Indias of spice and mine." His wife is to him two India's in
onc. This conceit was supplied by the geographical discoveries made in
his age. In those days India and the West Indies were discovered. In his
poem Twickenham Garden the lover's tears are the wine of love which is
a very strange idea. He invites the lovers to come with phials and collect
his tears. His tars are the standard by which lovers can judge his fidelity.
In the Song he employees fantastic conceit:
"Ride in ten thousand day and nights
Till age snow which hairs on thee".
Most of the Metaphysical are often called mystical poets. In the
poetry of Donne, Herbert, Crashaw, Vaughan and Traheme there is an
expression of a communion with God. These mystic poets have sense o
unity of all life.