Metaphysical, Cavalier, and Puritan Poetry

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Metaphysical, Cavalier, and Puritan Poetry
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Metaphysical Poetry

• Metaphysical after or following the physical a
  branch of philosophy that seeks to know what is
  truly real
• Characteristics
• Use of argument appeals to intellect and
  emotions
• Use of comparison metaphysical conceit (extended
  metaphor that compares 2 very unlike things)
• Use of language plain style

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John Donne

• B. 1572 Roman Catholic at a time when England
  was anti-Catholic
• Conceited verses written in younger years (The
  Flea)
• Poor (lost his government position due to
  scandal) became very depressed

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John Donne

• Friends urged him to enter the ministry because
  of the power of his religious poems
• Became a minister at 43 soon became chaplain to
  King James I
• By the time he died (1631), was considered the
  greatest preacher in England

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A Valediction Forbidding Mourning

• Valediction farewell statement
• Written for his wife just before he left for
  France purpose was to ease his wifes fears of a
  premonition she had about his trip
• Metaphysical conceit lovers to the feet of a
  compass

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Death Be Not Proud

• Written soon after his wifes death
• Donnes thoughts on immortality and religious
  faith
• Personification

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Meditation 17

• At age 51, Donne became seriously ill
• Wrote Meditation 17 as he was recovering
• Meditation short sermon expresses his thoughts
  on his illness and experience
• Bells signal death villagers knew to pray for
  the soul of the dead/dying
• Extended metaphysical conceit

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Ben Jonson

• Large man fiery temper
• Self-taught (no money for formal education)
  apprenticed with a bricklayer, entered army
• Began acting/writing in early 20s
• First big success at age 26 (play that featured
  Shakespeare in a leading role)

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Ben Jonson

• Killed a fellow actor in a duel and was sentenced
  to death
• Because he could read Latin, was allowed to be
  tried in church court
• Church court overturned death sentence branded
  on the thumb as a convicted felon
• Resented comparisons to Shakespeare (Jonson was
  more respected at the time)
• Age 49King James I gave him a lifetime pension
  (hed always be able to write)
• Took a year off, but when he returned, his
  writing had gone out of style spent the last 20
  years of his life trying to regain his former
  status

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On My First Son / Song To Celia

• Elegy poem expressing mourning
• Son, Benjamin, died of the plague in 1603, on his
  7th birthday
• Benjamin (Hebrew) Child of my right hand
• Unrequited love
• Ambrosia drink of the gods (immortality)

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Cavalier Poetry

• Writers affiliated with King Charles Is court
• Characteristics
• Carpe diem seize the day
• Intended to entertain audience rather than
  instruct it
• Conversational style
• Popular themes were love and loyalty
• Could be serious or sarcastic

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Robert Herrick

• Anglican priest
• Needed money took a ministerial job in a quiet
  country parish far from London
• Was miserable and lonely, so he turned to poetry
• Wrote poems to his pet pig, cat, dog, maid,
  neighbors, and imaginary girlfriends
• After many years and 1200 poems, returned to
  London wasnt able to publish his poetry
• London had changed took his old parish job back
  10 years later
• To the Virgins, Make Much of Time

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Andrew Marvell

• Brilliant writer of lyric poetry and prose
• Always managed to land on his feet, no matter
  what political upheavals took place (good
  connections)

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To His Coy Mistress

• Coy flirty but shy
• Mistress maam, miss sometimes sweetheart
• Published after his death his maid had it
  published, and in the introduction she described
  him as her husband (secret marriage)
• Few believed this, never proven

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The Puritans

• Wanted to purify the Church of England by
  eliminating Roman Catholic traditions
• Puritans Protestants
• Protestants rejected belief in the Pope
• Didnt like the top-to-bottom hierarchy of the
  RC church wanted bottom-to-top
• Elizabeth I, James I tolerated Puritans Charles
  I wanted to bring back RC traditions, so some
  Puritans left for America

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The Puritans

• Puritans who stayed in England gained political
  power
• 1649King Charles I found guilty of treason
  beheaded
• Commonwealth (new government) headed by Oliver
  Cromwell
• Tried to make English society conform to their
  strict Puritan beliefs (no holiday celebrations,
  no dancing, no playing chess, no public theaters)
• Commonwealth was unpopular in 1660, monarchy was
  restored (Charles II)

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John Bunyan

• Grew up in poverty
• Only received a very basic education left school
  at an early age to work
• Grew up to be one of Englands best-known
  nonconformist preachers
• Arrested for preaching without a license at the
  age of 32

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John Bunyan

• Refused to renounce his faith spent 12 years in
  prison
• Pardoned at the age of 42
• Arrested again 4 years later and imprisoned again
  for his beliefs

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The Pilgrims Progress

• allegorywork in which characters and settings
  are symbols aimed at teaching a moral lesson
• Character names indicate the quality they
  represent
• Main character is named Christian on a journey
  to the Celestial City
• Christian meets Faithful, who joins him on the
  journey.
• Together, they stop at the town of Vanity.

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John Milton

• Declared at age 21 hed be a great poet
• At 30 he traveled to Europe to study
  religious/political upheavals called him home
• Gave up all other writing to create pamphlets in
  defense of religious and civil freedoms
• Neglected poetry for 20 years (held govt
  positions)
• Went blind at age 44

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John Milton

• In 1660 (end of Commonwealth), had time to devote
  to writing (was 52)
• Charles II had him arrested as a traitor friends
  in high places saved him from hanging, but he had
  to pay heavy fines that left him broke
• Dictated Paradise Lost to his daughters

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Paradise Lost

• Epic poem long narrative poem that tells, in a
  serious tone and stately language, heroic
  exploits and dramatic events
• Begins with an invocation of the Muse and a
  statement of purpose
• 10,565 lines long
• Blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter)

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Paradise Lost

• Depicts the fall of Adam and Eve
• Satan (as a snake) tempts Adam and Eve to commit
  original sin (eating the forbidden fruit from the
  Tree of Knowledge)
• Also gives background a description of Hell at
  the time Satan and other rebellious angels were
  first driven from Heaven
• Paradise Regained, his next epic poem, depicts
  Christs temptation