John Donne Religious Metaphysical Poet
Metaphysical poetry swept through the world on the heels of the Renaissance. In an England where religious turmoil meant a person was not sure whether to be Catholic or Protestant in any given year, this type of poetry concerned itself with the whole experience of man. But the intelligence, learning and seriousness of the metaphysical poets means that their works are about the profound areas of experience; especially about love and about man's relationship with God and the eternal perspective. Helen Gardner states in her book the introduction to The Metaphysical Poets, "A metaphysical poem tends to be brief, and is always tightly woven" (Penguin). Poems in this genre also share many different characteristics. At the center of the poem, one will find a short and simple truth that can then be expanded to form another truth. At its heart lies "the classical epigram, and there is some truth in saying the poem is an expanded epigram." Caron Andregg also emphasizes that metaphysical poems contain a central conceit: "An extended metaphor so contrived and intellectually convoluted that, while the reader must in the end acknowledge the comparison between two unlike things, the very unlikeness remains paramount" (Andregg, par. 2). Me
Perhaps the greatest profound metaphysical writer of religious experience was John Donne. This particular poem is a personal favorite from John Donne. " This intro sets the stage for the mockery that "death" is about to receive. Donne's initial teachers were Jesuits and it was not long before John began to study at the University of Oxford. Donne hits every angle of sin-"original sin, sins of commission, omission, and collusion" (Mcdaniel, par. In Batter My Heart, Three Person'd God, lines 9-14, Donne clearly demonstrates his ability to use metaphors: Yet dearely'I love you, and would be lov'd faine, But am bethroth'd unto your enemie, Divorce mee,'untie, or break that knot againe, Take mee to you, imprison mee, for I Ecept you'enthrall mee, never shall be free, nor ever chast, except you ravish mee. Donne wrote this particular as a confession, while on his deathbed. Donne had many different careers throughout his lifetime and each seemed to have an affect on his poetry, however none seemed to have as much effect as his career as a pastor. " In the next line, the poet notes "poppies or charms can make us sleep as well. In each poem, using many different poetic terms, he illustrates the whole experience-personal and profound, to make us think long and hard about life and its many lessons. When John was four-years-old, his father died and left him and his two brothers to their mother, Elizabeth, the daughter of John Heywood, epigrammatist, and a relative of Sir Thomas Moore. This caused Donne to question his faith since his brother was thrown in jail for helping a denounced catholic priest. The second and final blow to death is the "image of death as a vile accompaniment to evil forces in life" (Mcdaniel, par.
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