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What is the term 'metaphysics' defined as?
What is the term 'metaphysics' defined as?
A type of theoretical philosophy of being and knowing.
What is the meaning of the term 'metaphysical' in poetry?
What is the meaning of the term 'metaphysical' in poetry?
Exact and careful thinking, the development of a concept as a poetic image.
What cultural attitude is the term 'metaphysical' in poetry related to?
What cultural attitude is the term 'metaphysical' in poetry related to?
The European Baroque.
What are the two terms that are often used interchangeably to refer to a period of intense emotional attitudes, complexity, and confusion in literature?
What are the two terms that are often used interchangeably to refer to a period of intense emotional attitudes, complexity, and confusion in literature?
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What does the term 'Baroque' originate from, and what does it refer to?
What does the term 'Baroque' originate from, and what does it refer to?
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The Baroque poetry was the dominant literary style from the late 1500s to the late 1600s.
The Baroque poetry was the dominant literary style from the late 1500s to the late 1600s.
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What are the characteristic strategies employed by Baroque poets, which contrast with the classical tradition?
What are the characteristic strategies employed by Baroque poets, which contrast with the classical tradition?
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What is the traditional term used to refer to a group of English writers from the 17th century who formed a school of poetry that revolted against the conventions of Elizabethan love poetry?
What is the traditional term used to refer to a group of English writers from the 17th century who formed a school of poetry that revolted against the conventions of Elizabethan love poetry?
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What is the name of the conceit used by Elizabethan sonneteers characterized by exaggerated comparison, applied to the beautiful but cold and cruel mistresses?
What is the name of the conceit used by Elizabethan sonneteers characterized by exaggerated comparison, applied to the beautiful but cold and cruel mistresses?
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What kind of shift did Donne and other metaphysical poets make in the comparison of their works, compared to the Petrarchan conceit?
What kind of shift did Donne and other metaphysical poets make in the comparison of their works, compared to the Petrarchan conceit?
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With the metaphysical poets, the conceit became an instrument of persuasion, rather than a simple poetic metaphor.
With the metaphysical poets, the conceit became an instrument of persuasion, rather than a simple poetic metaphor.
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Where is the metaphysical conceit conceived primarily?
Where is the metaphysical conceit conceived primarily?
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What does the metaphysical conceit combine?
What does the metaphysical conceit combine?
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What is the Elizabethan style of poetry characterized by?
What is the Elizabethan style of poetry characterized by?
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What is the primary use of the conceit in metaphysical poetry?
What is the primary use of the conceit in metaphysical poetry?
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What is the primary use of the conceit in Elizabethan poetry?
What is the primary use of the conceit in Elizabethan poetry?
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What are the metaphysical poems characterized by?
What are the metaphysical poems characterized by?
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What is the type of poetry that metaphysical poems represent?
What is the type of poetry that metaphysical poems represent?
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What kind of imagery do English metaphysical poets create?
What kind of imagery do English metaphysical poets create?
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What is the peculiar blend that English metaphysical poets achieve in their lyrics, according to T.S. Eliot?
What is the peculiar blend that English metaphysical poets achieve in their lyrics, according to T.S. Eliot?
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The 'feeling thought' as coined by T.S. Eliot is considered to be essential for the reading of metaphysical poetry.
The 'feeling thought' as coined by T.S. Eliot is considered to be essential for the reading of metaphysical poetry.
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What is the concept central to metaphysical poetic discourse, alongside the use of the conceit?
What is the concept central to metaphysical poetic discourse, alongside the use of the conceit?
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What does the wit in metaphysical poetry represent?
What does the wit in metaphysical poetry represent?
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What is the other key element in metaphysical poetry, besides wit, that is often seen as a textual representation of the wit?
What is the other key element in metaphysical poetry, besides wit, that is often seen as a textual representation of the wit?
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How is the conceit realized in the poet's use of wit?
How is the conceit realized in the poet's use of wit?
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What are the chief subjects of metaphysical poetry?
What are the chief subjects of metaphysical poetry?
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What are the main features of metaphysical poetry, in terms of style?
What are the main features of metaphysical poetry, in terms of style?
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Metaphysical poetry is characterized by the extensive use of metaphors and similes, with an emphasis on lyrical and emotional expression.
Metaphysical poetry is characterized by the extensive use of metaphors and similes, with an emphasis on lyrical and emotional expression.
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What is always present in metaphysical poems, upon which the entire text is based?
What is always present in metaphysical poems, upon which the entire text is based?
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What is the purpose of the poet in a metaphysical poem?
What is the purpose of the poet in a metaphysical poem?
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What unites the thematic and structural levels of metaphysical poetry?
What unites the thematic and structural levels of metaphysical poetry?
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According to Joan Bennett, what is the underlying unity in all human experience?
According to Joan Bennett, what is the underlying unity in all human experience?
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Metaphysical poems are known for their lengthy and rambling narratives, often spanning extended periods of time or containing multi-layered plot structures.
Metaphysical poems are known for their lengthy and rambling narratives, often spanning extended periods of time or containing multi-layered plot structures.
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What was the initial reaction towards the term 'metaphysical', and the conceit used in poetry?
What was the initial reaction towards the term 'metaphysical', and the conceit used in poetry?
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Metaphysical poetry was fully restored to its literary value by Thomas Stearns Eliot in the beginning of the 20th century.
Metaphysical poetry was fully restored to its literary value by Thomas Stearns Eliot in the beginning of the 20th century.
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Who are some of the prominent figures in the metaphysical trend in British poetry?
Who are some of the prominent figures in the metaphysical trend in British poetry?
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What is the most important element in the metaphysical conceit, which ensures the poet's success?
What is the most important element in the metaphysical conceit, which ensures the poet's success?
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Study Notes
Seventeenth-Century British Literature
- Seventeenth-century British literature (roughly 1620s-1690s) is generally categorized into three main periods: metaphysical poetry, the Puritan period, and the Restoration period.
- Metaphysical poetry reflects the Baroque period, characterized by a flourishing of this style in British literature.
- The Puritan period saw a religious and political movement with some negative impact on literary development in Britain and America.
- The Restoration period saw a revival of drama, receptiveness to French influences, and the consolidation of classical principles. Neoclassicism began during this period.
Metaphysical Poetry
- Metaphysics, as a philosophical term, involves theoretical philosophy revolving around being and knowledge, often using abstract and subtle reasoning.
- Metaphysical poetry, in the poetic sense, is characterized by exact and careful thinking, particularly the development and exploration of concepts as poetic images. The aim is to provide intellectual pleasure in discovering the hidden meanings within poems.
- The general characteristics of metaphysical literature reflect prevalent cultural attitudes influenced by the European Baroque.
- Metaphysical poetry is often seen as synonymous with the Baroque period. Both terms describe a period characterized by intense emotions, emotional complexity, and intellectual confusion. Key figures in this period include John Donne, George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, Richard Crashaw, Abraham Cowley, and Andrew Marvell.
Baroque (Literary and Artistic Style)
- The term "Baroque" derives from the Portuguese word "barroco," meaning "irregular pearl." Initially used for architecture, it was later applied to a literary style appearing after the Renaissance decline in Europe (starting around the 1580s) and ending as the Enlightenment began (around the 1680s).
- Baroque in European cultural history is characterized by its preoccupation with the relation between reality and appearance. It also frequently grapples with the limitations of reason while using extravagance in poetic approaches.
- The movement reflects the conflict between religion and humanism, with a growing awareness challenging the validity of appearances, leading to an obsessive concern for appearances along with a general religious and spiritual focus.
- The Baroque style's contrast with the classical tradition led to several characteristics: startling conceits, dramatic contrast, hyperbole, concentrated language, complex syntax, paradoxical arguments, and portrayals of love treated in rational terms. Irony, ambiguity, musicality, and sculptural effects are also present.
Conceit
- The conceit is a key feature of metaphysical poetry, as the critical tradition from Dryden to the present focuses heavily on the image or imagery within the work.
- Etymologically, conceit refers to an artistic device based on concepts rather than observations. It often involves an extended metaphor that is striking due to the apparent dissimilarity of the things compared.
- Compared to the Elizabethan use of the conceit, metaphysical poets tended to express their wit and ideas with less verbal representation and more emphasis on concise language.
- The metaphysical conceit prioritizes the blend of intellectual thought and passion, with emotional experiences curbed by reason and validated in turn by reason's insights.
- The Elizabethan style, conversely, was more heavily influenced by artificiality and rhetoric. Metaphysical poets used the conceit for persuasion, while Elizabethan poets used the conceit for decoration.
- The conceit, frequently considered a unique poetic device in metaphysical poetry, is distinct from the Petrarchan conceit.
Key Figures in Metaphysical Poetry
- John Donne, George Herbert, Andrew Marvell, Richard Crashaw, and Henry Vaughan were important figures in the metaphysical tradition.
Elements of Metaphysical Poetry
- Structure: Metaphysical poems, often as lyric poems, combine brevity with intensity, featuring wit, irony, and wordplay. Formal elements like stanzas, rhyme, and meter are important, but underlying these structures are often complex arguments. The poet's personal experience, be it intellectual or emotional, often drives the poem.
- Themes: Themes often explored include God, love, death, human frailty, and the use of motifs like "carpe diem" and "tempus edax" (seize the day/devouring time), reflecting philosophical explorations of the universe and the human condition.
- Style: The style is characterized by concision and a focus on concentrated imagery, along with a tendency to use language economically. The poetry often prioritizes argumentation and reasoned approaches over elaborate, artificial expressions.
The Importance of Wit
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The concept of "wit" is central to metaphysical poetry; it includes the ability to form striking images and to connect ideas in unique ways.
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Other notes: The term "metaphysical" was initially used pejoratively, but its meaning and importance have been re-evaluated and embraced over time.
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