Metaphysical Poetry

 Metaphysical Poetry

Hello everyone this blog is based on a thinking activity task assigned by Prakruti Ma’am.

#What do you understand by the term "metaphysical"? Which aspects of Andrew Marvell's To His Coy Mistress can be considered "metaphysical" in nature?

This word "metaphysical" has its origin in philosophy, which originally denoted "beyond the physical." In literature, it refers to poetry that provides answers to great philosophical questions about existence, time, spirituality, and the very nature of the universe. Intellectualism is the hallmark of metaphysical poets because conceits-expressed metaphors that make surprising connections-between the abstract and the physical-are their favorite device along with paradoxes and rich imagery.

*Andrew Marvell's To His Coy Mistress is full of a number of metaphysical elements:

1)Philosophical and Existential Themes:

Marvell contemplates issues relating to time and mortality. The speaker talks about the shortness of life by saying because time is brief, he should seize the opportunity at hand. This "carpe diem" theme is a metaphysical contemplation on human life and the inescapability of death.

2)Use of Conceits:

There are vivid and inventive metaphors such as the "wingèd chariot" always drawing nearer. Poet imagines vast distances and eras ("Till the conversion of the Jews" and "Love you ten years before the Flood") which gives a dramatic sense to that timeless love and longing.

3)Paradoxes and Irony:

He uses paradoxes to drive in the transitory nature of both life and love. For example, he speaks of love remaining "till the conversion of the Jews" - a vague duration-but contrasts that with the desperation of action on his part since there isn't much time left.

4)Interplay of Physical and Abstract:

Marvell combines sensual imagery with philosophical contemplation to illustrate how carnal desire and abstract notions of time and eternity are intertwined. Thus, the speaker's request for his lover to "embrace" time and love brings the corporeal together with the metaphysical in the praise of his lover to satisfy both fleshly and spiritual appetites.

#Critically analyze George Herbert's The Collar.

The Collar by George Herbert is a remarkable expression of spiritual revolt, frustration, and reconciliation towards God. The word "collar" can also be interpreted as the collar of a priest, symbolizing Herbert's call to priesthood and the other meaning as a "choler," or one part of anger or rebellion. The double meaning places the poem in the context of reflecting on the inner struggle between the desire of the self and the call of the spirit.

 Critical Discussion of The Collar:

1.)Tone of Rebellion and Frustration:

He begins by speaking his mind to the emotions of intense frustration caused by a compulsion to dominate the speaker according to the rigid religious expectations. He questions the purpose of all these sacrifices and gets angry at the loss of personal freedom and pleasure in return for what he boasts is a burdensome life of devotion.

2.)Free Verse Structure:

The poem's unorthodox rhyme scheme and seemingly disjointed composition mirror the turmoil and hostility of the speaker. Lacking in structured meter and rhyme, there is a sense of revolt against order and structure while intensifying the raw emotionalism in the spiritual struggle being made by the speaker.

3.)Metaphors and Wordplay:

 Hermann uses earthly and ecclesiastical imagery, such as "cage," "rope," and "thorn," to indicate the imprisonment of his spiritual life. The wordplay about "collar" indicates the bondage of the speaker but hints at the sense of purpose that his vocation has-a guiding line, with which for the moment he is not in tune.

4.)Conclusion and Resolution:

Lastly, the poet hears a gentle call from God, "Child", with a shocking and humbling conclusion. In the divine mercy that softens the rebellious heart of the speaker comes in submission. It is here that the speaker's noisy complaints contrast with the simple call of God to show the power of grace over anger.

The Collar reflects the universal conflict between personal will and spiritual duty. The use of free form combined with vivid imagery and the shift from rebellion to reconciliation evokes the path from doubt and frustration to acceptance and peace in faith.

#Look up the word "conceit" in the Oxford English dictionary. Do you think John Donne's The Flea and Ecstasy are a conceit?

In literature, a ‘conceit’ is an extended metaphor that compares two things that are very dissimilar in a sense that is at the same time quite novel or surprising. Conceits often afford to explore in depth a concept. John Donne's poems ‘The Flea’ and ‘The Ecstasy’ are examples of conceits.

In ‘The Flea’, Donne presents the flea as a means of examining conceptions of physical union and love, as the mixing of blood in the flea is likened to a relationship. In ‘The Ecstasy’, Donne makes use of the image of souls leaving the body to reflect on lovers' union of souls and their bodies. Both poems are part of the conceit style by joining what appears unrelated concepts into deeper insights of love and human connection.