Class Assignment: What is Metaphysical Poetry ? Metaphysical poetry is a special type of poetry that became popular in the 17th century. The main poets of this group were John Donne, George Herbert, Andrew Marvell, Henry Vaughan,and Richard Crashaw. The word metaphysical means “beyond the physical.” These poets were not satisfied with writing only about beauty, nature, or simple love. Instead, they wanted to explore deeper ideas such as the meaning of love, the relationship between man and God, the nature of the soul, and the mystery of death and life after death. The term metaphysical poets was first given by Samuel Johnson, who noticed that these poets used unusual comparisons and very clever arguments in their poems. Characteristics of Metaphysical Poetry: 1). Use of Conceits : A conceit is an extended and surprising comparison between two very different things.Metaphysical poets often used such images to explain their ideas. For example, in Donne’s poemA Valediction: Forbiddi...
Class Assignment: Summary of the Rape of the Lock: Introduction: The poem was written by Alexander Pope in the early 18th century (first published in 1712,expanded in 1714).It was based on a real-life incident: A young lord, Lord Petre, secretly cut offa lock of hair from a young lady, Arabella Fermor, without her permission.This small act cause big quarrel between their two wealthy Catholic families in London society.Pope’s friends asked him to write something that might calm the quarrel and make the whole matter seem lessserious.So, the Pope turned this small event into a mock-epic poem.A mock-epic means it use the grand style of classical epics (like Homer’s Iliad or Virgil’s Aeneid) but applies it to a silly or small event.For example, instead of a real war, Pope describes a “battle” between ladies and gentlemen using fans and powder!Through this humorous style, Pope gently made fun of how high society placed too much importance on beauty, fashion, and gossip.In short: The po...