Metaphysical Poetry Metaphysical poetry mainly refers to the works of English poets who were deeply influenced by john donne (1572- 163 1) in the 7th century. Metaphysical poets have a strong rebellious spirit and try to break away from the traditional love poems in Elizabethan period. Metaphysics refers to a unique school of poetry that appeared in English literature in the17th century.
John donne, an English poet, is the representative of this school. He is famous in the literary world for his clever use of "strange metaphors" in his poems. Metaphysics was not paid enough attention to in the development of classicism in the18th century and romanticism in the19th century, and it was not fully affirmed in the literary world until the 20th century, which had a far-reaching impact on British and American literature in the 20th century.
Characteristics of poetry
Metaphysical poems mainly include love poems, religious poems, elegies, object-chanting poems, satirical poems and meditation poems. Love poems absorb images from science, philosophy and theology through reasoning and debate, which reflects the dissatisfaction with Petrarch-style "sweet" lyric poems popular in the Renaissance. Religious poems and other poems mostly focus on the anguish, doubt, exploration and reconciliation of faith.
Metaphysical poetry reflects that the ideas of affirming life, praising love and emancipating individuality in the humanistic tradition in the early17th century were confronted with the crisis of the increasingly reactionary Stuart dynasty and the resurgence of old religions. The mood of metaphysical poetry was in line with the prevailing atmosphere of suspicion and dissatisfaction with Victoria and Edward's warm and vulgar moral concepts.