Metaphysical Poetry and Donne's "The Sun Rising" and "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning"
Presentation Type
Textual Analysis
Release Option
Event
Description
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Abstract
In the 1770s, Samuel Johnson coined the term "metaphysical poetry." This term was in reference to the Renaissance poet John Donne's unusual style of writing, which often jarringly pairs together ideas that are typically not associated with one another. Some, such as Johnson, took issue with this style, while others, such as T.S. Eliot, praised Donne's ability of "forming new wholes" from the different experiences in his life. Other critics, like Anthony Low, also argue that Donne's new style helped to modernize love poetry. Two poems in which this style is extremely prevalent are "The Sun Rising" and "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," both of which come from his 1633 collection, Songs and Sonnets. "The Sun Rising" compares the speaker's love to the geocentric model of the universe, while "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" compares the union of two lovers' souls to a pair of compasses. While these comparisons sound odd, both of these poems ultimately prove that Eliot is right to believe that Donne's style is successful and a simply a reflection of the fact that he is a poet with a mind "perfectly equipped for its work."
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Julia Griffin
Department of Primary Presenter's Major
Department of Literature
Location
Room 2041
Symposium Year
2023
Metaphysical Poetry and Donne's "The Sun Rising" and "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning"
Room 2041
In the 1770s, Samuel Johnson coined the term "metaphysical poetry." This term was in reference to the Renaissance poet John Donne's unusual style of writing, which often jarringly pairs together ideas that are typically not associated with one another. Some, such as Johnson, took issue with this style, while others, such as T.S. Eliot, praised Donne's ability of "forming new wholes" from the different experiences in his life. Other critics, like Anthony Low, also argue that Donne's new style helped to modernize love poetry. Two poems in which this style is extremely prevalent are "The Sun Rising" and "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," both of which come from his 1633 collection, Songs and Sonnets. "The Sun Rising" compares the speaker's love to the geocentric model of the universe, while "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" compares the union of two lovers' souls to a pair of compasses. While these comparisons sound odd, both of these poems ultimately prove that Eliot is right to believe that Donne's style is successful and a simply a reflection of the fact that he is a poet with a mind "perfectly equipped for its work."
