17 century th

The Metaphysical poetry

University of Kufa , college of Education for Girls
English department
Second grade

By : Murtada Ali
What do we mean by metaphysical ?

The term Metaphysical has been derived from two Greek words of
‘’Meta’’ and ‘’Physics’’ .Meta means beyond and physics means
physical nature .
Metaphysical poetry is a unique division of poetry that deals with a
philosophical outlook on nature , It is a term coined by Samuel
Johnson , has it’s roots in 17th- century England .
This type of poetry is witty , ingenious and highly philosophical , its
topics include love, life and existence .
The Metaphysical poetry
 Grierson describes metaphysical poetry as ‘’poetry inspired by
philosophical concept of the universe and the role assigned to the
human spirit and the great drama of existence ‘’.
 John Donne , The pioneer of this metaphysical school of poetry,
and Andrew Marvel, George Herbert , Richard Crashaw
importantly contributed to this new poetic field .
 Metaphysical poetry
o Metaphysical poets dealt with topics like God ,creation and afterlife .
o The metaphysical poetry believes that the logical aspects rules the
emotional .
o Metaphysical poetry use literary elements of similes ,metaphors ,imagery
,paradoxes ,conceit and far-fetched views of reality .
o Emotions are shaped and expressed by logical reasoning and both sound
and picture are subordinate to this end .
 Metaphysical poetry
The metaphysical poets like Wordsworth
preferred words in everyday use ,They used
the natural language of human beings in their
poetry .
 Characteristics of metaphysical poetry

• Ratiocination : It is the reasoning based on logic i.e.

this kind of poetry used both reason and logic as a
vehicle to put forward an idea. Good Ratiocination
is supported by argument ,proof ,examples etc.
 Characteristics of metaphysical poetry

 Emotional appeal : the use of reason doesn't

mean an absence of emotional
appeal .Metaphysical poetry displays a fine
interspersing(spread) of emotions ,
sensibilities ,memories and reasons .
 Characteristics of metaphysical poetry

oUse of conceits: The metaphysical poetry

introduced the concept of conceits , in simple
terms ,a conceit is the bringing together of
very unlikely ideas to produce a new idea .
 Characteristics of metaphysical poetry

Wit : In the context of metaphysical

poetry , the excessive(extreme) use of
intellectual ideas is referred to as wit .
Characteristics of metaphysical poetry
• Paradox :in literature a paradox is a literary device that
contradicts itself but contains plausible kernel or truth , a
paradox appears to be a self contradictory statement but
delving deeper we see the meaning lying underneath
• In short Contrary to expectations is paradox .
 Examples of paradox
o He is no body , he is a wise fool .
o Nobody goes to that restaurant , it is too busy!
o Animal farm (the animals are all equal , but some were more equal
than others ).
o In the song ‘’shut the door ‘’, ‘’I shut my eyes so that I can see ‘’
Characteristics of metaphysical poetry

• Dramatic opening : these poems used the start

off from certain events or actions
• John Donne once said ‘’ For God’s sake hold
your tongue , and let me love’’.
 Characteristics of metaphysical poetry
Simple language : the language used in
metaphysical poetry is simple and easy to
understand , devoid(free from) of elevated and
ornate(lavish) speech , which is found in a
classical writings .
Characteristics of metaphysical poetry

Humour : another prominent aspect of a

metaphysical poetry is humour, if the humour
is subtle and polished , it helps in controlling
the tone and mood of the poem .
Quiz ?
a. Yes , definitely
b. First answer
c. Second answer
d. All of the above .
e. Bye