Paper - 1 The Renaissance Literature

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Name : Megha B Trivedi

Course : M.A. English

Sem : 1

Batch : 2016 – 2018

Roll No : 25

Enrolment No : PG 2069108420170030

Submitted to : Smt. S.B.Gardi Dept. Of English MKBU

Email ID : meghatrivedi666@gmail.com

paper No : 1 Renaissance Literature

Topic : The Metaphysical poetry. 1) George Herbert 2) Andrew Marvell 3) Henry Vaughan

Background of the Metaphysical Poets : -
       The literature of the the first half of the seventeenth century ; from the death of Elizabeth (1603) to the Restoration (1660) he realizes the impossibility of grouping poets by any accurate standards. Major three groups we find in this age first Metaphysical Poets, second The name Carolion or Cavalier Poets who Followed King Charles and third Spenserian Poets.

What is Metaphysical Poetry? : -

        A group of Poets which emerged in 17th century, between 1600 to 1635 , and trying to write poetry in a very new and different with unique idea, after some time it known as the Metaphysical poetry. But use the term in a narrower sense.

  Meaning Of Metaphysical : -
        The term Metaphysical or Metaphysics in poetry is the fruit of Renaissance tree, becoming over ripe and approaching pure science. “ Meta” means “ Beyond” and “ physics” means “ Physical nature”. Metaphysical poetry means poetry that goes beyond the physical world of the senses and explores the spiritual world. Metaphysical poetry began early in the Jacobean age in the last stage of the age of Shakespeare.

Origin of the name :-

        Dr. Samuel Johnson was used the term first time “ The Metaphysical Poetry” for the poet of Donne and his school. First time used when Dr. Johnson writing a biographical sketch on the life of Abraham Cowlely in his book named “ The Lives” at that time it was used in negative sense by some critics Donne and his followers, but after some time this term became a very well known “ The Metaphysical poetry”.

Major Poets :-

        Richard Crashaw (1613-1649) the catholic mystic is interesting because his troubled life is singularly like Donne's and his poetry is at times like Herbert's set on fire. Abraham Cowely (1618-1667) who blossomed young and who at twenty five, he was proclaimed the greatest poet in England is now scarcely known even by name , but his “ pindaric odes” set an example which influenced English poetry throughout the 18th century. Henry Vaughan (1622-1695) is worthy of study because he is in some respects the forerunner of Wordsworth and Andrew Marvell (1621-1678), because of his loyal friendship with Milton and because his poetry shows the conflict between the two schools of and Donne, Edmund waller (1606-1687) stands between the puritan age and the Restoration. He was the first to use consistently the “ Closed” couplet which dominated our poetry for the next century.

         All poets are good, but as a special poets we can consider hear only two Donne and Herbert, because who in different ways are the types of revolt against earlier forms and standards of poetry in feeling and imagery both are poets of a high order but in style and expression they are the leaders of the fantastic school. Whose influence largely dominated poetry during the half century of the puritan period.

Minor Poets :-

1) Anne Bradstreet ( c. 1612-1672)

2) Thomas Carew (1595-1640)

3) George Chapman (c. 1559-1634)

4) John Hall (c. 1627-1656)

5) Edward Herbert (1583-1648)

6) Richard Leigh (1649-1728)

7) Katherine Philips (1632-1664)

8) Sir Jhon Suckling (1609-1642)


Poetic Style :-
         The poetic style or the writing style of the metaphysical poet is very good. In their poetry they include philosophical and spiritual subjects and approached, and far-fetched images, similes and metaphors, and also deal with religious and moral questions. Love and beauty is also main theme in this poetry. This metaphysical type of poetry also talked about human life and existence. Metaphysical poetry is very witty.They used expanded epigram format with use of simple verse format octosyllabic couplets stanzas in which length of line and rhyme scheme enforce the sense. They used good combination of images like dissimilar images or discovery of occult resemblances in thing apparently unlike. Some Metaphysical poets, specially John Donne, was influenced by Neo- Platonism one of the primary platonic concepts found in metaphysical poetry is the idea that the perfection of beauty in the beloved acted as a remembrance of perfect beauty in the eternal realm. They used various images of various fields like scientific, Geometry, Agricultural, Engineering, Biology and Architecture.


Characteristics :-

(1) Power of arguments :-

        This quality is an important part of the love poems and John Donne use this arguments for positively fores many of the poems are example like “ The Flea” and “ The Ecstasy”.

(2) Use of Paradox :-
This is a statement that appears to be self contradictory but reveals a new an important truth for example the Christan way of saying that we can only gain life by losing it is an exceltent.

(3) Use of Pun and Claverplay of Words :-

Wit is an important element of Donne's poetry were he use is his own technique to present what he wishes to by using different words.

(4) Hyperbole :-

Hyperbole means exaggeration. We find many time in the different poems specially in Donne's poem. For ex:- “ The Good Morrow” and “The Ecstacy”.

(5) Analogues drawn between different branches of Learning :-
All metaphysical poets were literate and degree holders, they were scholars, men of learning, that's why their all poetry became remarkable. His learning qualities reflects in their writing.

(6) Arresting opening :-
 John Donne was the master of arresting opening, for ex:-

“Mark but this flea, and mark in this,

"How little that thou deniest me is;

It suck'd me first, and now sucks thee,

And in this flea, our two bloods mingled be.”

                                 ( poetry- “The Flea”)

(7) The Metaphysical conceit :-
Likes simile and Metaphor's a conceit established relationship between to think but for a conceit the comparison of often outrageous John Donne unuseall language made it to even more difficult to understand for ex :- “ The Flea” , “ The Ecstacy”.

(8) Use of imagery drawn from a wide rang of academic sources
Metaphysical poets uses very far fached images, and images reflects the real world.

(9) Conscious attempt:-

According to a critic Helen.c.White has explained the reason that why metaphysical poet made a conscious attempt, because they wanted to distinguish and differentiated themselves from the former poets of Elizabethan age and with the help of his scholarship they made.

Critical Opinion :-

       Critical opinion of the school has been varied. Johnson claimed that “ thay were not successful in representing or moving the affection” and that neither “ was the sublime more within their reach”. Generally, his criticism of the poets style was grounded in his assertion that “ Great thoughts are always general”, and that the metaphysical poets were too particular in their search for novelty. He did concede, however that “ they... sometimes stuck out unexpected truth” and that their work is often intellectually, if not emotionally, stimulating.

Discuss about three poets.
(1) George Herbert


                                         

               George Herbert was born in Wgles (1593-1633) and apart from being a poet. He was an orator and a priest. He was born into an artistic and wealthy family. He received good education that led to his prominent positions in Cambridge university and the parliament. As the student of Trinity college Cambridge, Herbert was very good at language and music and because of his scholarship he was aloud to serve the parliament for two years. In the year 1630 he gave up all his ambitions and orders in the church of England.

             In the year 1624 he became a member of Parliament very honestly and later on he became a priest in his life. In 1633 all the poems of Herbert were published in “ The Temple” scared poems and privet egacqlations. This book went on for eight additions till the year 1690. In the year 1652 Barmadas oley edited “ Herbert's remains”.

            It can be said that all of Herbert's English surviving poems are religious. They are characteristic by directness of expression and conceits many of the poems have intricate rhyme scheme multi pal variations.

Examples of his Poetry :-

       His religious poetry is “ The altar” in which the altar becomes his conscit for how one should offer himself as a sacrifice to the Lord.

       “ A Prist to the Temple” he offering practical advise to everybody. His major work “ The Temple” consicet of over hundred and fifty short poems suggested by the curche. The first poem “ The Curchporrch” is the longest poem, which has a lot of moral lesson among the remaining poems of the temple one of the most important of “ The Pilgrimage” which has six shorts stanzas another is “ The Pully”.


(2) Andrew Marvell

                                                   

                    Andrew Marvell was born in Winestad-in-Holderness, Yorkshier. His father was rector and became master of the Charter house and lecturer in Holy Trinity Church than his family moved to Hull. Marvell studied in Hull Grammar School and completed his Trinity college, he passed in B.A. in 1638 then M.A. He travelled abroad in france, Switzerland, Holland, Spain, Italy. Then he wrote poetry “ To his coy mistress”. Then he met with John Milton and he became instead tutor to cromwell's nephew, William Dutton. After the Cromwell died charles second was restored. At that time he published his many poetry. He suddenly died of a fever in 1677 at the age of 56, then his poetry was published posthumously in 1681 as miscellaneous poems.

“ To his coy Mistress”

“ Had we but world enough and time,

This coyness, Lady were no crime

we would sit down and think which way

To walk and pass our long love's day                                                            (poetry- “ To his coy Mistress”)

             It is a wonderful poem by Andrew Marvell. In this poem , poet talks about the shyness of his beloved. Poet want to make physical relation with her lover, enjoying togetherness, enjoy their youth time but the shyness of beloved became crime hear. His lover was very shy, poet try to convince her and at that time very beautiful example poet put there like Ganges, his love like vegetable, compares with “ Morning dew”, and youth.


(3) Henry Vaughan :-

                                        

           Henry Vaughan was born in Beecknockshire, Wales. He and his brother studied at Jesus College, Oxford. His brother became Philosopher he left Oxfored and start Law in London. Then he entered military service. Later in his life he practiced medicine also. He wrote poetry and published in 1646. In 1648 his brother died. His major poetry is religious in nature and published in 1650 and 1655 in the two parts of “ Silex Scintillans”. He died on April 23, 1695.

His Poetry :-

1) The Morning Watch

2) The Retreat

3) Childhood

4)The Dawning

5) Peace

Conclusion :- 

        So, we can find that, how beautifully Metaphysical poet wrote his poetry in beautiful way and give a wonderful art as a form of literature.


Reference :- www.englishstudyhub.blogpost.com

                       www.editbeta.com

                       From material

                       www.adnax.com

                        www.encylopedia.com