When Donne started writing, Petrarchan lyric writers were writing sonnets based on the creed of chivalry and woman worship. The language of the Petrarchan love lyrics was highly decorative. The poet of the Petrarchan love tradition used to depict a reluctant mistress and a lover who complained with sighs, vows, and tears. There was a little attempt to present the real complexities of an emotional relationship like love. Love was then nothing but an adoration of the mistress who was regarded as a goddess.

Rejecting this Petrarchan love tradition, Donne wrote love poems with intense realism. He brought about a new idea in the conventional love tradition and showed originality in his love approach. He invented something new in the language as well as the theme of love poetry. Thus, Donne departed from the Petrarchan love tradition and helped establish a new metaphysical school of poetry.

The most original contribution of Donne in love poetry is the blending of thought with the imagination, and passion with intellect. This intellectuality is expressed in the conceits he uses in his poems. The conceits are based on the similes and metaphors drawn from all the branches of knowledge such as theology, cosmology, philosophy, medicine, chemistry, law, etc. The Elizabethan lyrists used conventional physical comparisons. But Donne uses scholastic and fanciful comparisons. He compares two lovers to a pair of twin compasses in "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning".

Donne's love poems cover a wide range of feelings from extreme physical passion to spiritual love, and they express varied moods ranging from cynicism and contempt to faith and acceptance. His emotions are not bookish but rather deeply rooted in his personal experiences.

There are mainly three strains of his love poetry:

(a) First, cynicism as we find in the song " Go and Catch a Falling Star".

(b) Secondly, the strain of conjugal love in the poems like "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning", is addressed to his wife, Anne Moore.

(c) Third, the Platonic strain of love as in " The Canonization " in which love is treated as a holy passion.

The Petrarchan poets sang about the pains and sorrows of love, the sorrows of absence, and the pains of rejection by the cruel mistress. But in Donne's poetry, love is considered to be mutual and self-sufficient. 

Further, Donne's treatment of love is both sensuous and realistic. Love merely of the body is not love but lust. But at the same time, he is realistic enough to realize that it cannot also be of the soul alone. It must partake both of the soul and the body.

One of the striking qualities of Donne is his use of language. Discarding the ornamental and artificial language of the Petrarchan poets, he uses colloquial speech and often gives it a dramatic form. This dramatic quality of his love poems enforces the mission of his love.

To conclude, we can say that, the dominant note in Donne's love poetry is neither sensual passion, gay and cynical wit, nor scorn and anger. In fact, his love poetry deals with the infinite quality of passion. His greatness as a love poet lies in the fact that his experience of passion covers a wide range from its lowest depth to its highest reaches.

What is Donne's attitude towards love ?

Green Land | February 25, 2023 | 0 comments

When Donne started writing, Petrarchan lyric writers were writing sonnets based on the creed of chivalry and woman worship. The language of the Petrarchan love lyrics was highly decorative. The poet of the Petrarchan love tradition used to depict a reluctant mistress and a lover who complained with sighs, vows, and tears. There was a little attempt to present the real complexities of an emotional relationship like love. Love was then nothing but an adoration of the mistress who was regarded as a goddess.

Rejecting this Petrarchan love tradition, Donne wrote love poems with intense realism. He brought about a new idea in the conventional love tradition and showed originality in his love approach. He invented something new in the language as well as the theme of love poetry. Thus, Donne departed from the Petrarchan love tradition and helped establish a new metaphysical school of poetry.

The most original contribution of Donne in love poetry is the blending of thought with the imagination, and passion with intellect. This intellectuality is expressed in the conceits he uses in his poems. The conceits are based on the similes and metaphors drawn from all the branches of knowledge such as theology, cosmology, philosophy, medicine, chemistry, law, etc. The Elizabethan lyrists used conventional physical comparisons. But Donne uses scholastic and fanciful comparisons. He compares two lovers to a pair of twin compasses in "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning".

Donne's love poems cover a wide range of feelings from extreme physical passion to spiritual love, and they express varied moods ranging from cynicism and contempt to faith and acceptance. His emotions are not bookish but rather deeply rooted in his personal experiences.

There are mainly three strains of his love poetry:

(a) First, cynicism as we find in the song " Go and Catch a Falling Star".

(b) Secondly, the strain of conjugal love in the poems like "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning", is addressed to his wife, Anne Moore.

(c) Third, the Platonic strain of love as in " The Canonization " in which love is treated as a holy passion.

The Petrarchan poets sang about the pains and sorrows of love, the sorrows of absence, and the pains of rejection by the cruel mistress. But in Donne's poetry, love is considered to be mutual and self-sufficient. 

Further, Donne's treatment of love is both sensuous and realistic. Love merely of the body is not love but lust. But at the same time, he is realistic enough to realize that it cannot also be of the soul alone. It must partake both of the soul and the body.

One of the striking qualities of Donne is his use of language. Discarding the ornamental and artificial language of the Petrarchan poets, he uses colloquial speech and often gives it a dramatic form. This dramatic quality of his love poems enforces the mission of his love.

To conclude, we can say that, the dominant note in Donne's love poetry is neither sensual passion, gay and cynical wit, nor scorn and anger. In fact, his love poetry deals with the infinite quality of passion. His greatness as a love poet lies in the fact that his experience of passion covers a wide range from its lowest depth to its highest reaches.

John Donne

A conceit is basically a simile or a comparison between two dissimilar things. In a conceit, the dissimilarity between the two things compared, is so great that the reader is always fully conscious of it, even while he agrees to the likeness, implied by the poet. According to Dr. Johnson, in a conceit, the most heterogeneous ideas are "yoked by violence together." This kind of comparison is highly exaggerated, fantastic and far-fetched, and it gives rise to an image.

John Donne, always witty and the terms wit and conceit often bring applied to him, have created a history of their own through the successive generations. The use of wit, and conceit gave him some kind of supremacy among poets as learning and humours gave Ben Jonson among the Elizabethan dramatists.

Generally, Donne is considered to be the innovator of conceits, but, in fact, the Elizabethan poets and dramatists already used conceits in their writing. Shakespeare used conceits in abundance. But an Elizabethan conceit differs from a metaphysical conceit in several respects. A metaphysical conceit, for one thing, is learned but an Elizabethan is not. In drawing a conceit, Donne makes ample use of his learning- his knowledge of scholastic philosophy, medieval astrology, contemporary art and science etc. Those conceits are often far-fetched and recondite. The most fundamental difference between a metaphysical conceit and on Elizabethan one is that the former is an organic part of the poem, while the latter is a mere decoration or ornament of the poem. The metaphysical conceits startle and amuse the readers. They are a part of the poet's technique of communication, amplification and persuasion. Donne makes use of highly intellectual conceits in his poems to illustrate feelings and, in this way, he achieves unification of sensibility. A conceit of Donne is his instrument of argument and persuasion.

We are to remember that the use of wit and conceit forms a major part of Donne's poetic style, and conceit, in fact, displays a formidable wit. So do the various allusions and images relating to practically all the areas of nature, art and learning.

In a conceit, as discussed earlier, we are made to agree with the likeness even while being strongly conscious of the unlikeness. Donne often employs fantastic comparison. The most famous and striking one is the comparisons of a man who travels and his beloved who stays, to a pair of compasses in "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning".

         " If they be two, they are two so As stiff twin compasses are two, They soul the fixed foot, makes no show To move, but doth, it the other do."

The soul of the beloved, the poet says, is like the fixed foot of the compass as she stays at home. The poet's soul is like the other foot of the compass which moved, so to say, in a circle. The fixed foot leans towards the moving foot, and afterwards, the moving foot rejoins the fixed foot. The rejoining of the encircling foot suggests the return of the poet to his beloved and their union.

To conclude, the metaphysical conceits of Donne arose from the intellectual process of thinking in figures of speech. These conceits were opposed to the Elizabethan traditions, because he practised the cult of the eccentric and showed mental gymnastics or jugglery of thoughts. Because of these, his conceits are extremely perverse and tortuous, uncommon and far fetched. In spite of all these, Donne is an original poet in using metaphysical conceits.

What is a metaphysical conceit? Trace elements of conceits in Donne's poetry?

Green Land | July 21, 2022 | 0 comments

A conceit is basically a simile or a comparison between two dissimilar things. In a conceit, the dissimilarity between the two things compared, is so great that the reader is always fully conscious of it, even while he agrees to the likeness, implied by the poet. According to Dr. Johnson, in a conceit, the most heterogeneous ideas are "yoked by violence together." This kind of comparison is highly exaggerated, fantastic and far-fetched, and it gives rise to an image.

John Donne, always witty and the terms wit and conceit often bring applied to him, have created a history of their own through the successive generations. The use of wit, and conceit gave him some kind of supremacy among poets as learning and humours gave Ben Jonson among the Elizabethan dramatists.

Generally, Donne is considered to be the innovator of conceits, but, in fact, the Elizabethan poets and dramatists already used conceits in their writing. Shakespeare used conceits in abundance. But an Elizabethan conceit differs from a metaphysical conceit in several respects. A metaphysical conceit, for one thing, is learned but an Elizabethan is not. In drawing a conceit, Donne makes ample use of his learning- his knowledge of scholastic philosophy, medieval astrology, contemporary art and science etc. Those conceits are often far-fetched and recondite. The most fundamental difference between a metaphysical conceit and on Elizabethan one is that the former is an organic part of the poem, while the latter is a mere decoration or ornament of the poem. The metaphysical conceits startle and amuse the readers. They are a part of the poet's technique of communication, amplification and persuasion. Donne makes use of highly intellectual conceits in his poems to illustrate feelings and, in this way, he achieves unification of sensibility. A conceit of Donne is his instrument of argument and persuasion.

We are to remember that the use of wit and conceit forms a major part of Donne's poetic style, and conceit, in fact, displays a formidable wit. So do the various allusions and images relating to practically all the areas of nature, art and learning.

In a conceit, as discussed earlier, we are made to agree with the likeness even while being strongly conscious of the unlikeness. Donne often employs fantastic comparison. The most famous and striking one is the comparisons of a man who travels and his beloved who stays, to a pair of compasses in "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning".

         " If they be two, they are two so As stiff twin compasses are two, They soul the fixed foot, makes no show To move, but doth, it the other do."

The soul of the beloved, the poet says, is like the fixed foot of the compass as she stays at home. The poet's soul is like the other foot of the compass which moved, so to say, in a circle. The fixed foot leans towards the moving foot, and afterwards, the moving foot rejoins the fixed foot. The rejoining of the encircling foot suggests the return of the poet to his beloved and their union.

To conclude, the metaphysical conceits of Donne arose from the intellectual process of thinking in figures of speech. These conceits were opposed to the Elizabethan traditions, because he practised the cult of the eccentric and showed mental gymnastics or jugglery of thoughts. Because of these, his conceits are extremely perverse and tortuous, uncommon and far fetched. In spite of all these, Donne is an original poet in using metaphysical conceits.

John Donne

Conventionally, the term 'metaphysical' means poetry dealing with metaphysical subjects like the nature of the universe, the movement of the stars and planets, the creation of man and his relation with the universe, the nature of soul and its function in the body made of flesh and blood, and the whole relationship of man with God. But Donne is a metaphysical love poet in a different sense. He displayed an abundance of wit and conceit, made use of over elaborate similes and metaphors drawn from remote and unfamiliar sources. His images are logical and intellectual rather than sensuous and conventional. Thus, Donne is called a metaphysical love poet because of his technique of writing. It is not the substance or material rather it is his attitude to the human spirit and poetic expression that makes him a metaphysical love poet.

Donne's metaphysical poetry reveals a depth of philosophy, a subtlety of reasoning, a mingling of the homely and the sublime, the light and the serious, and these make his poetry full of variety and surprise. Probably the most distinctive feature of the metaphysical is their imagery, which in Donne is almost invariably unusual, striking, often breathtaking but sometimes far-fetched and fantastic. Generally Donne's love poetry is marked by such characteristics as wit, conceit, ratiocination, blend of emotion and intellect, hyperbole, imagery, and, above all, his style of expression in dramatic and colloquial tones.

Wit is the dominant feature of Donne's metaphysical love poetry. It may be explained as the saying of fine sparkling things which startle and amuse. It is an intellectual activity which consists in the poet's perception of similarity in dissimilarities and the ingenuity with which he brings together and combines opposites, whether in words or ideas. Donne's wit may be found in his use of puns, wordplay, oxymoron, paradox, etc. For example, in "The Canonization" his wit is seen in his reference to the King's real and his stamped face:

Observe His Honour, or His Grace Or the King's real, or his stamped face."

Another characteristic feature of metaphysical love poetry is conceit, which is basically a simile or a comparison between two dissimilar things. According to Dr. Johnson, in a conceit the most heterogeneous ideas are yoked by violence together. This kind of comparison is highly exaggerated, fantastic and far-fetched, and it gives rise to an image. The most famous and striking conceit is the comparison of a man who travels and his beloved who stays, to a pair of compasses in "A Valediction : Forbidding Mourning":

" If they be two, they are two so As stiff twin compasses are two

They soul the fixed foot, makes no show To move, but doth, if the other do."

Again, metaphysical imagery is a notable feature of Donne's love poetry. He takes his images from various sources, such as, religion, science, Nature, astronomy, philosophy, domestic life, etc. His strained and whimsical images are startling. The flea to him becomes a marriage bed:

"This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is"

In Donne's love poetry, we find a peculiar blend of passion and thought, feeling and ratiocination. Each of his love poems arises out of a particular emotion but he explains that emotion with the help of his intellect.

Another remarkable feature of Donne's love poetry is the use of dramatic monologue. Every lyric of Donne is, indeed, a piece of personal drama and there is always a dialogue or at least a monologue. For example, "The Canonization" starts with a dialogue.

Considering all the characteristics of Donne's poetry as discussed above, we can conclude that Donne is perfectly a metaphysical love poet by virtue of his learning and intellect, displaying an abundance of wits and conceits, and, above all, his blend of passion and thought.

Show Donne as a metaphysical poet?

Green Land | June 13, 2022 | 0 comments

Conventionally, the term 'metaphysical' means poetry dealing with metaphysical subjects like the nature of the universe, the movement of the stars and planets, the creation of man and his relation with the universe, the nature of soul and its function in the body made of flesh and blood, and the whole relationship of man with God. But Donne is a metaphysical love poet in a different sense. He displayed an abundance of wit and conceit, made use of over elaborate similes and metaphors drawn from remote and unfamiliar sources. His images are logical and intellectual rather than sensuous and conventional. Thus, Donne is called a metaphysical love poet because of his technique of writing. It is not the substance or material rather it is his attitude to the human spirit and poetic expression that makes him a metaphysical love poet.

Donne's metaphysical poetry reveals a depth of philosophy, a subtlety of reasoning, a mingling of the homely and the sublime, the light and the serious, and these make his poetry full of variety and surprise. Probably the most distinctive feature of the metaphysical is their imagery, which in Donne is almost invariably unusual, striking, often breathtaking but sometimes far-fetched and fantastic. Generally Donne's love poetry is marked by such characteristics as wit, conceit, ratiocination, blend of emotion and intellect, hyperbole, imagery, and, above all, his style of expression in dramatic and colloquial tones.

Wit is the dominant feature of Donne's metaphysical love poetry. It may be explained as the saying of fine sparkling things which startle and amuse. It is an intellectual activity which consists in the poet's perception of similarity in dissimilarities and the ingenuity with which he brings together and combines opposites, whether in words or ideas. Donne's wit may be found in his use of puns, wordplay, oxymoron, paradox, etc. For example, in "The Canonization" his wit is seen in his reference to the King's real and his stamped face:

Observe His Honour, or His Grace Or the King's real, or his stamped face."

Another characteristic feature of metaphysical love poetry is conceit, which is basically a simile or a comparison between two dissimilar things. According to Dr. Johnson, in a conceit the most heterogeneous ideas are yoked by violence together. This kind of comparison is highly exaggerated, fantastic and far-fetched, and it gives rise to an image. The most famous and striking conceit is the comparison of a man who travels and his beloved who stays, to a pair of compasses in "A Valediction : Forbidding Mourning":

" If they be two, they are two so As stiff twin compasses are two

They soul the fixed foot, makes no show To move, but doth, if the other do."

Again, metaphysical imagery is a notable feature of Donne's love poetry. He takes his images from various sources, such as, religion, science, Nature, astronomy, philosophy, domestic life, etc. His strained and whimsical images are startling. The flea to him becomes a marriage bed:

"This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is"

In Donne's love poetry, we find a peculiar blend of passion and thought, feeling and ratiocination. Each of his love poems arises out of a particular emotion but he explains that emotion with the help of his intellect.

Another remarkable feature of Donne's love poetry is the use of dramatic monologue. Every lyric of Donne is, indeed, a piece of personal drama and there is always a dialogue or at least a monologue. For example, "The Canonization" starts with a dialogue.

Considering all the characteristics of Donne's poetry as discussed above, we can conclude that Donne is perfectly a metaphysical love poet by virtue of his learning and intellect, displaying an abundance of wits and conceits, and, above all, his blend of passion and thought.

John Donne

Metaphysical poetry began early 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 reaction against the conventional poetry of the Spenserians. It was Dr. Johnson who for the first time ascribed the title of "Metaphysical poets" to Donne and his followers who included George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, Andrew Marvell, Richard Crashaw, John Cleveland, Abraham Cowley, and a few others. Dr. Johnson, of course, got the suggestion for this label from Dryden's statement. "Donne affects the metaphysics." 

Salient features of Metaphysical poetry

The following are the main characteristics of the Metaphysical poetry of this age: (i) Metaphysical poetry is chiefly lyrical, (ii) in theme it is religious or amatory, (iii) there is much metrical facility, even in complicated lyrical stanza, (iv) the poetic style is sometimes almost startling in its sudden beauty; there are unexpected turns of language and figures of speech.

Characteristically metaphysical poetry reveals a depth of philosophy, a subtlety of reasoning, a mingling of the homely and the sublime, the light and the serious. Probably the most distinctive feature of the metaphysicals is their imagery, which is almost invariably unusual, striking, often breath-taking but sometimes far-fetched and fantastic. Generally metaphysical poetry is marked by such characteristics as wit, conceit, ratiocination, blend of emotion and intellect, use of hyperboles, imagery, expressions in dramatic and colloquial tones. etc.

Wit is the dominant feature of metaphysical poetry. Wit may by explained as the saying of fine sparkling things which startle and amuse. It is an intellectual activity which consists in the poet's perception of similarity in dissimilarity and the ingenuity with which he brings together and combines opposites, whether in words or ideas. Wit is of immense variety. It is found in the use of puns, wordplay, oxymoron, paradox, etc. Thus, in Donne's poem, "The Canonization" wit is found in his reference to the King's real and his stamped face: 

"Observe his Honour or his Grace, Or the King's real, or his stamped face."

As a courtier, a man may watch the real face of the king or he may enter a business and during his dealing with money he may see the king's image stamped on coins.

Conceit is another remarkable feature of metaphysical poetry. A conceit is basically a simile or a comparison between two dissimilar things. According to Dr. Johnson, in a conceit the most heterogeneous ideas are "yoked by violence together." This kind of comparison is highly exaggerated, fantastic and far-fetched, and it gives rise to an image. The most famous and striking conceit is the comparison of a man who travels and his beloved who stays, to a pair of compasses in "A Valediction : Forbidding Mourning". 

Metaphysical poetry is the product of both intellect and emotion. Neither strong feeling nor intellect by itself would make good poetry. The brain and the soul work together in the creation of a metaphysical poem. For example, each of Donne's love poems arises out of a particular emotion but he explains that emotion with the help of his intellect.

To sum up, the metaphysical poetry is concerned with the fundamental problems of the nature of the universe and the role of human spirit in the great drama of existence. In this sense, the poetry of Donne and his successors may certainly be called metaphysical because metaphysical and religious concerns do appear in it.

Write a note on Metaphysical poetry?

Green Land | June 13, 2022 | 0 comments

Metaphysical poetry began early 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 reaction against the conventional poetry of the Spenserians. It was Dr. Johnson who for the first time ascribed the title of "Metaphysical poets" to Donne and his followers who included George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, Andrew Marvell, Richard Crashaw, John Cleveland, Abraham Cowley, and a few others. Dr. Johnson, of course, got the suggestion for this label from Dryden's statement. "Donne affects the metaphysics." 

Salient features of Metaphysical poetry

The following are the main characteristics of the Metaphysical poetry of this age: (i) Metaphysical poetry is chiefly lyrical, (ii) in theme it is religious or amatory, (iii) there is much metrical facility, even in complicated lyrical stanza, (iv) the poetic style is sometimes almost startling in its sudden beauty; there are unexpected turns of language and figures of speech.

Characteristically metaphysical poetry reveals a depth of philosophy, a subtlety of reasoning, a mingling of the homely and the sublime, the light and the serious. Probably the most distinctive feature of the metaphysicals is their imagery, which is almost invariably unusual, striking, often breath-taking but sometimes far-fetched and fantastic. Generally metaphysical poetry is marked by such characteristics as wit, conceit, ratiocination, blend of emotion and intellect, use of hyperboles, imagery, expressions in dramatic and colloquial tones. etc.

Wit is the dominant feature of metaphysical poetry. Wit may by explained as the saying of fine sparkling things which startle and amuse. It is an intellectual activity which consists in the poet's perception of similarity in dissimilarity and the ingenuity with which he brings together and combines opposites, whether in words or ideas. Wit is of immense variety. It is found in the use of puns, wordplay, oxymoron, paradox, etc. Thus, in Donne's poem, "The Canonization" wit is found in his reference to the King's real and his stamped face: 

"Observe his Honour or his Grace, Or the King's real, or his stamped face."

As a courtier, a man may watch the real face of the king or he may enter a business and during his dealing with money he may see the king's image stamped on coins.

Conceit is another remarkable feature of metaphysical poetry. A conceit is basically a simile or a comparison between two dissimilar things. According to Dr. Johnson, in a conceit the most heterogeneous ideas are "yoked by violence together." This kind of comparison is highly exaggerated, fantastic and far-fetched, and it gives rise to an image. The most famous and striking conceit is the comparison of a man who travels and his beloved who stays, to a pair of compasses in "A Valediction : Forbidding Mourning". 

Metaphysical poetry is the product of both intellect and emotion. Neither strong feeling nor intellect by itself would make good poetry. The brain and the soul work together in the creation of a metaphysical poem. For example, each of Donne's love poems arises out of a particular emotion but he explains that emotion with the help of his intellect.

To sum up, the metaphysical poetry is concerned with the fundamental problems of the nature of the universe and the role of human spirit in the great drama of existence. In this sense, the poetry of Donne and his successors may certainly be called metaphysical because metaphysical and religious concerns do appear in it.

John Donne

Donne's love poetry is remarkable for its concentrated passion, intellectual agility and dramatic power. He is given to introspection and self-analysis. He writes of no imaginary shepherds and shepherdesses as his predecessors did but of his own intellectual, spiritual and amorous experiences. His poetry, specially love poetry, bears a tone of realism, even cynicism but it is always forceful and startling. His poetry is a revolutionary step against the conventional and chivalric love and in doing this he brings about a peculiar blend of passion and thought, feeling and ratiocination.

Each of Donne's love poems arises out of a particular emotion but he explains that emotion with the help of his intellect. That is, he approaches every occasion of his love emotionally but he gives rise to the intellect and understanding in order to express his peculiar experience of love. His experience of being in love is expressed in a witty language in different moods of a lover, his sensuality is elevated by a brilliant wit, fascination and scornful anger are inextricably blended together.

Most varied concepts are brought together in his poetry by means of an intellectual analysis of the most delicate shades of psychological experiences. In the "Sun Rising", we find a self sufficient nature of love. It is a successful union of passion and thought, ingenuity and wit. The mood and the sun is called, " busy old fool, unruly sun, saucy pedantic wretch", etc. While Donne is in a passionate mood, he takes recourse to wit or conceit which, sometimes, seem to be highly fantastic and exaggerated.

"She's all states, and all princes I, Nothing else is Princes do but play us, compared to this All honours mimic, all wealth alchemy,Thou sun art half as happy as we, In that the world's contacted thus."

The world of love and the external world are juxtaposed and the little world of the lovers is said to be a microcosm of the outside world. The lovers concentrate within themselves all the glory and riches of the outside world. Thus the world of love has been glorified by means of a conceit which proves Donne's faculty in the fusion of intellect and emotion. To think of an unusual and fantastic comparison is a matter of intellect but to glorify the world of love is a matter of emotion.

To sum up, Donne has effectively combined thought and feeling, emotion and intellect or logical arguments in his love poetry. By using wonderful and far-fetched similes, wits, conceits and arguments, he has brought out concentrated passion, intellectual agility and dramatic power which have given his poetry a kind of novelty and distinction from his predecessors. Because of this his poetry, specially love poetry, bears a tone of realism even cynicism but it is always forceful and startling.

Show how Donne achieves a fusion of thought and feeling in his love poetry?

Literaturemini | May 14, 2020 | 0 comments

Donne's love poetry is remarkable for its concentrated passion, intellectual agility and dramatic power. He is given to introspection and self-analysis. He writes of no imaginary shepherds and shepherdesses as his predecessors did but of his own intellectual, spiritual and amorous experiences. His poetry, specially love poetry, bears a tone of realism, even cynicism but it is always forceful and startling. His poetry is a revolutionary step against the conventional and chivalric love and in doing this he brings about a peculiar blend of passion and thought, feeling and ratiocination.

Each of Donne's love poems arises out of a particular emotion but he explains that emotion with the help of his intellect. That is, he approaches every occasion of his love emotionally but he gives rise to the intellect and understanding in order to express his peculiar experience of love. His experience of being in love is expressed in a witty language in different moods of a lover, his sensuality is elevated by a brilliant wit, fascination and scornful anger are inextricably blended together.

Most varied concepts are brought together in his poetry by means of an intellectual analysis of the most delicate shades of psychological experiences. In the "Sun Rising", we find a self sufficient nature of love. It is a successful union of passion and thought, ingenuity and wit. The mood and the sun is called, " busy old fool, unruly sun, saucy pedantic wretch", etc. While Donne is in a passionate mood, he takes recourse to wit or conceit which, sometimes, seem to be highly fantastic and exaggerated.

"She's all states, and all princes I, Nothing else is Princes do but play us, compared to this All honours mimic, all wealth alchemy,Thou sun art half as happy as we, In that the world's contacted thus."

The world of love and the external world are juxtaposed and the little world of the lovers is said to be a microcosm of the outside world. The lovers concentrate within themselves all the glory and riches of the outside world. Thus the world of love has been glorified by means of a conceit which proves Donne's faculty in the fusion of intellect and emotion. To think of an unusual and fantastic comparison is a matter of intellect but to glorify the world of love is a matter of emotion.

To sum up, Donne has effectively combined thought and feeling, emotion and intellect or logical arguments in his love poetry. By using wonderful and far-fetched similes, wits, conceits and arguments, he has brought out concentrated passion, intellectual agility and dramatic power which have given his poetry a kind of novelty and distinction from his predecessors. Because of this his poetry, specially love poetry, bears a tone of realism even cynicism but it is always forceful and startling.

John Donne

'Wit' literally means a clever and humorous expression of some ideas but in metaphysical sense it is more than this. Wit may be explained as the saying of fine sparking things which startle and amuse. The wit is to be discovered in the clever and ingenuous use of words, rather than in the content of a poem. It is an intellectual activity which consists in the poet's perception of similarity in dissimilarity and the ingenuity with which he brings together and combines opposites, whether in words or ideas.

The distinctive features of Donne's wits are:

(a) It surprises the reader with its intellectual vigour and agility 

  

(b) It is not merely a clever use of words, because it fuses his emotion with thought,

(c) Its source is the most amazing and varied learning of the poet, 

(d) His wits are often deliberately shocking and impudent in the discovery of comparisons and analogies but they are always argumentative, 

(e) There is a juxtaposition of ideas which seem at first sight unrelated and discordant and by their reconciliation in the heat of the poet's imagination, a more coherent and organic body of truth is achieved than is attainable by the use of familiar comparisons. 

(f) His wit lies in the blend of feeling and not merely of opposite concepts. 

For example,

"She's all states, and all princes I, Nothing else is,

"In these two lines of "The Sun Rising", the beloved is compared to all the states of the world and the poet to all the monarchs of the world, and again they are united into one. In other words, there are no states and kings outside the poet and his beloved, who have made a perfect world. Again the lover's bed-room is considered to be the epitome of the whole world as in the following lines: 'Shine here on us and thou art everywhere.' " This bed thy centre is, these walls, thy sphere'. Here, the poet asks the sun to shine on them only and if so, it would be as if the sun were shining over the whole world.Donne's wit is of immense variety. It is found in his use of poems, word play, oxymoron, paradox, etc. Thus, in "The Canonization", Donne's wit is seen in his reference to the king's real and his stamped face.

" Observe His Honour, or His Grace,Or the King's real or his stamped face"

As a courtier a man may watch the real face of the king or he may enter a business and during his dealing with money he may see the king's image stamped on coins.

Donne's wit is also found in his ingenious comparisons, analogies and arguments. He constantly discovers similarities at the most unlikely places and, by this peculiar resemblance, he not only amuses but also surprises his reader, and proves his point of view.

Donne's wit is the expression of varied moods and tones, ranging from the gay and playful mood - seen in the contrast between the two worlds, the world of the lovers and the geographical world, to the dark and cynical mood as in "Go and Catch a Falling Star". At other times Donne's wit is marked by ironic tone.

To sum up, the secret of Donne's wit lies in his mental strength and intellectual power. It is an expression of his rational outlook on life, an embodiment of his poetic sensibility and a reflection of his vision of life. It is a powerful instrument by which he reverses or demolishes our most cherished values and ideals.

What is a metaphysical wit? Give some examples of Donne's wit and comment on them?

Literaturemini | May 14, 2020 | 0 comments

'Wit' literally means a clever and humorous expression of some ideas but in metaphysical sense it is more than this. Wit may be explained as the saying of fine sparking things which startle and amuse. The wit is to be discovered in the clever and ingenuous use of words, rather than in the content of a poem. It is an intellectual activity which consists in the poet's perception of similarity in dissimilarity and the ingenuity with which he brings together and combines opposites, whether in words or ideas.

The distinctive features of Donne's wits are:

(a) It surprises the reader with its intellectual vigour and agility 

  

(b) It is not merely a clever use of words, because it fuses his emotion with thought,

(c) Its source is the most amazing and varied learning of the poet, 

(d) His wits are often deliberately shocking and impudent in the discovery of comparisons and analogies but they are always argumentative, 

(e) There is a juxtaposition of ideas which seem at first sight unrelated and discordant and by their reconciliation in the heat of the poet's imagination, a more coherent and organic body of truth is achieved than is attainable by the use of familiar comparisons. 

(f) His wit lies in the blend of feeling and not merely of opposite concepts. 

For example,

"She's all states, and all princes I, Nothing else is,

"In these two lines of "The Sun Rising", the beloved is compared to all the states of the world and the poet to all the monarchs of the world, and again they are united into one. In other words, there are no states and kings outside the poet and his beloved, who have made a perfect world. Again the lover's bed-room is considered to be the epitome of the whole world as in the following lines: 'Shine here on us and thou art everywhere.' " This bed thy centre is, these walls, thy sphere'. Here, the poet asks the sun to shine on them only and if so, it would be as if the sun were shining over the whole world.Donne's wit is of immense variety. It is found in his use of poems, word play, oxymoron, paradox, etc. Thus, in "The Canonization", Donne's wit is seen in his reference to the king's real and his stamped face.

" Observe His Honour, or His Grace,Or the King's real or his stamped face"

As a courtier a man may watch the real face of the king or he may enter a business and during his dealing with money he may see the king's image stamped on coins.

Donne's wit is also found in his ingenious comparisons, analogies and arguments. He constantly discovers similarities at the most unlikely places and, by this peculiar resemblance, he not only amuses but also surprises his reader, and proves his point of view.

Donne's wit is the expression of varied moods and tones, ranging from the gay and playful mood - seen in the contrast between the two worlds, the world of the lovers and the geographical world, to the dark and cynical mood as in "Go and Catch a Falling Star". At other times Donne's wit is marked by ironic tone.

To sum up, the secret of Donne's wit lies in his mental strength and intellectual power. It is an expression of his rational outlook on life, an embodiment of his poetic sensibility and a reflection of his vision of life. It is a powerful instrument by which he reverses or demolishes our most cherished values and ideals.

John Donne

Donne, like other metaphysical poets, uses images extensively but his imagery is invariably unusual and striking, often breath-taking but sometimes far-fetched and fantastic. The purpose of an image in his poetry is to define an emotional experience by an intellectual parallel.

Donne is a poet of wide range of knowledge and this helps him draw many striking images and comparisons. He is well versed in most of the subjects that excite the cultivated minds in his age. Astronomy, chemistry, geography, physiology, law, theology, voyages and discoveries are the fields of study in which he draws upon in differently for illustration.

It will be, however, admitted that Donne's imagery contributes a great deal to the difficulty which readers today experience in reading his poems, because it is a complex and curious process through which he brings together the opposites of life, body and soul, heaven and earth, the bed of the lovers and the universe, life and death, etc. in one breath. Huge concepts are closely packed together within a little space that they create a great confusion in the reader's minds. So, to understand him properly the readers must follow point by point the logical parallel to his emotions which his imagery provides.

"The Good Morrow" is pregnant with a number of images drawn from different sources: myth, the geographical world etc. To show the perfect world of love, Donne refers to the two hemispheres of the globe. The poet says that the world of the lovers has neither sharp north, nor declining west. They are unlikely to change or suffer a decline as their love is equal on both sides. Thus the imagery used in this poem, illustrates Donne's extravagant intellectual power for expressing a strong feeling.

Similarly, in "Twicknam Garden" the poet compares his passion of love to a poisonous spider and his feeling of jealousy to a serpent. With the help of conceits the poet draws the image of a spider, enmeshing everything and turning it to poisonous something, and the image of Eden where Eve was tempted to taste the forbidden fruit by Satan in the guise of a serpent:  

"But O, self traitor, I do bring The spider love, which transubstantiates all,And can convert manna to gall, And that this place may thoroughly be thought.True paradise, I have the serpent brought."

To sum up, Donne has effectively combined thought and image in his love poetry. By using wonderful and far-fetched similes, wits and conceits, logical arguments, he has brought out concentrated passion, intellectual agility and dramatic power which have given his poetry a kind of novelty and distinction from his predecessors. The nature of Donne's imagery calls for some of the strangeness felt by a modern reader who encounters his poetry for the first time.

How effectively does Donne combine thought and image in his poems?

Literaturemini | May 14, 2020 | 0 comments

Donne, like other metaphysical poets, uses images extensively but his imagery is invariably unusual and striking, often breath-taking but sometimes far-fetched and fantastic. The purpose of an image in his poetry is to define an emotional experience by an intellectual parallel.

Donne is a poet of wide range of knowledge and this helps him draw many striking images and comparisons. He is well versed in most of the subjects that excite the cultivated minds in his age. Astronomy, chemistry, geography, physiology, law, theology, voyages and discoveries are the fields of study in which he draws upon in differently for illustration.

It will be, however, admitted that Donne's imagery contributes a great deal to the difficulty which readers today experience in reading his poems, because it is a complex and curious process through which he brings together the opposites of life, body and soul, heaven and earth, the bed of the lovers and the universe, life and death, etc. in one breath. Huge concepts are closely packed together within a little space that they create a great confusion in the reader's minds. So, to understand him properly the readers must follow point by point the logical parallel to his emotions which his imagery provides.

"The Good Morrow" is pregnant with a number of images drawn from different sources: myth, the geographical world etc. To show the perfect world of love, Donne refers to the two hemispheres of the globe. The poet says that the world of the lovers has neither sharp north, nor declining west. They are unlikely to change or suffer a decline as their love is equal on both sides. Thus the imagery used in this poem, illustrates Donne's extravagant intellectual power for expressing a strong feeling.

Similarly, in "Twicknam Garden" the poet compares his passion of love to a poisonous spider and his feeling of jealousy to a serpent. With the help of conceits the poet draws the image of a spider, enmeshing everything and turning it to poisonous something, and the image of Eden where Eve was tempted to taste the forbidden fruit by Satan in the guise of a serpent:  

"But O, self traitor, I do bring The spider love, which transubstantiates all,And can convert manna to gall, And that this place may thoroughly be thought.True paradise, I have the serpent brought."

To sum up, Donne has effectively combined thought and image in his love poetry. By using wonderful and far-fetched similes, wits and conceits, logical arguments, he has brought out concentrated passion, intellectual agility and dramatic power which have given his poetry a kind of novelty and distinction from his predecessors. The nature of Donne's imagery calls for some of the strangeness felt by a modern reader who encounters his poetry for the first time.

John Donne

Donne as a lyric poet, genius is essentially lyrical and the theme of almost all of his lyrics is love, in the earlier stage love of women, and in the later stage love of God. Though his theme is love, the emotional range of his lyrics is wide, more wide than that of any other poet. Every variety and shade of love-experience, ranging from the frankly lyrical and brutal to devotion and adoration of the beloved as something sacred and divine, is expressed in his love-lyrics. Donne expresses every variety of mood, both as a lover and as a worshipper-hate, disgust, jealousy, lust, love, reverence, security and mistrust.

Donne's love lyrics are truly metaphysical in the sense that they fuse the senses and the intellect. His love poems spring from intense passion and feeling, whether they are satirical or sincere in approach. In fact, Donne intellectualized the English lyric and thus extended its range and scope. Every one of his lyrics has its origin in some emotional situation and, as the lyric proceeds, the poet analyses intellectually that particular emotion. The emotion is discussed and analysed almost threadbare and arguments, for and against, are given in the manner of a clever lawyer pleading his case.

Thus in "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," the poet advances arguments after arguments in support of the view that true lovers need not mourn at the time of parting. Similarly, in "The Canonization" a case is cleverly made out in favour of love making and the lovers are shown to be saints of love. This intellectual analysis of emotion is something new and original in the English lyric. It results in the fusion of thought and emotion- unification of sensibility. It is for this unification of sensibility that T.S. Eliot commended metaphysical lyric and regarded Donne as one of the greatest of the English poets.

Donne's lyrics are metaphysical in another sense also. Donne's mind moves with extraordinary agility from one dissimilar concept to another and in this way his lyrics combine and juxtapose the opposite of life. He discovers occult resemblances in concepts apparently unlike, and moves from the concrete to the abstract, from the physical to the spiritual, from the finite to the infinite, from the microcosm to macrocosm, with bewildering swiftness.

The credit for dramatising the English lyric must go to John Donne. Every lyric of Donne is a piece of personal drama. A lyric which is an expression of emotion, is highly subjective, while the drama is an objective interpretation of life. The dramatist must effect his personality and whatever he has to say, must be expressed dramatically in the from of a dialogue, between imagined characters. In Donne's lyric also, there is always a dialogue, or at least a monologue. There is always an interlocutor, as in the dramatic monologues of Browning. In "The Canonization", the very opening line- 'For God's sake hold your tongue and let me love' implies ty presence of a third person whom the poet addresses and tells not to disturb him in his love-making. Similarly " A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning " is addressed to the poet's wife, Anne Moore.

Donne's lyrics are distinguished from the Elizabethan and the non-romantic lyric by its lack of sweetness, music and melody. In his lyrics, Donne rejects the Elizabethan convention of sighing Petrarchan woes in Petrarchan language.

To sum up, Donne's rhythms and cadence, the movement of his verse, change in keeping with the change in his thought and emotion. In this respect, he closely resembles Robert Browning. Donne's originality lies in his ability to impart to the lyric measure and stanza-forms that flexibility and expressiveness which the dramatists of the day had imparted to dramatic blank verse. His rhythms are colloquial and he alone among the English lyricists has succeeded in capturing the directness, the familiar tone, the rhythm of speech.

Discuss Donne as a lyric poet?

Literaturemini | May 12, 2020 | 0 comments

Donne as a lyric poet, genius is essentially lyrical and the theme of almost all of his lyrics is love, in the earlier stage love of women, and in the later stage love of God. Though his theme is love, the emotional range of his lyrics is wide, more wide than that of any other poet. Every variety and shade of love-experience, ranging from the frankly lyrical and brutal to devotion and adoration of the beloved as something sacred and divine, is expressed in his love-lyrics. Donne expresses every variety of mood, both as a lover and as a worshipper-hate, disgust, jealousy, lust, love, reverence, security and mistrust.

Donne's love lyrics are truly metaphysical in the sense that they fuse the senses and the intellect. His love poems spring from intense passion and feeling, whether they are satirical or sincere in approach. In fact, Donne intellectualized the English lyric and thus extended its range and scope. Every one of his lyrics has its origin in some emotional situation and, as the lyric proceeds, the poet analyses intellectually that particular emotion. The emotion is discussed and analysed almost threadbare and arguments, for and against, are given in the manner of a clever lawyer pleading his case.

Thus in "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," the poet advances arguments after arguments in support of the view that true lovers need not mourn at the time of parting. Similarly, in "The Canonization" a case is cleverly made out in favour of love making and the lovers are shown to be saints of love. This intellectual analysis of emotion is something new and original in the English lyric. It results in the fusion of thought and emotion- unification of sensibility. It is for this unification of sensibility that T.S. Eliot commended metaphysical lyric and regarded Donne as one of the greatest of the English poets.

Donne's lyrics are metaphysical in another sense also. Donne's mind moves with extraordinary agility from one dissimilar concept to another and in this way his lyrics combine and juxtapose the opposite of life. He discovers occult resemblances in concepts apparently unlike, and moves from the concrete to the abstract, from the physical to the spiritual, from the finite to the infinite, from the microcosm to macrocosm, with bewildering swiftness.

The credit for dramatising the English lyric must go to John Donne. Every lyric of Donne is a piece of personal drama. A lyric which is an expression of emotion, is highly subjective, while the drama is an objective interpretation of life. The dramatist must effect his personality and whatever he has to say, must be expressed dramatically in the from of a dialogue, between imagined characters. In Donne's lyric also, there is always a dialogue, or at least a monologue. There is always an interlocutor, as in the dramatic monologues of Browning. In "The Canonization", the very opening line- 'For God's sake hold your tongue and let me love' implies ty presence of a third person whom the poet addresses and tells not to disturb him in his love-making. Similarly " A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning " is addressed to the poet's wife, Anne Moore.

Donne's lyrics are distinguished from the Elizabethan and the non-romantic lyric by its lack of sweetness, music and melody. In his lyrics, Donne rejects the Elizabethan convention of sighing Petrarchan woes in Petrarchan language.

To sum up, Donne's rhythms and cadence, the movement of his verse, change in keeping with the change in his thought and emotion. In this respect, he closely resembles Robert Browning. Donne's originality lies in his ability to impart to the lyric measure and stanza-forms that flexibility and expressiveness which the dramatists of the day had imparted to dramatic blank verse. His rhythms are colloquial and he alone among the English lyricists has succeeded in capturing the directness, the familiar tone, the rhythm of speech.

John Donne