Metaphysical poets: Difference between revisions

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The '''metaphysical poets''' is a term applied to some poets of the 17th century whose work is characterised by wit, a love of conceits, complex argument and unexpected use of similes and arguably extravagant comparisons. They were not a movement as such, though one can trace a pattern of influence between some of them. Among the poets were [[John Donne]], [[George Herbert]], [[Richard Crashaw]], [[Henry Vaughan]], [[Andrew Marvell]] and [[Thomas Traherne]]. Some of their poems start from something very concrete - for example sunrise or a flower - and move on to an exploration of religious or philosophical themes or of the nature of love and relationships.
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The term "metaphysical" to describe the poets dates back to [[John Dryden]], who disliked this poetic style, and said disparagingly of Donne, "He affects the Metaphysics... in his amorous verses, where nature only should reign; and perplexes the minds of the fair sex with nice speculations of philosophy". [[Samuel Johnson]] picked up the term metaphysics in his '''Life of Cowley''', where he wrote that "about the beginning of the seventeenth century appeared a race of writers that may be termed the metaphysical poets".
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Two major anthologies of the metaphysical poets are:
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* ''Metaphysical Lyrics & Poems of the Seventeenth Century, Donne to Butler'', selected and edited by Herbert Greirson, Clarendon Press, 1921
*''abc'' means the form of the title for alphabetization, e.g. "Doherty, John" or "Orient, The".  Please think this one through and replace the "&nbsp;" if required.
* ''The Metaphysical Poets'', introduced and edited by Helen Gardner, Penguin Books 1957
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|            by = [[User:Michael Forde Cayley|Michael Forde Cayley]] 11:37, 14 April 2008 (CDT)
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