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   ms-mcgregor Teacher
   High School - 12th Grade

   eNotes Editor

   Metaphysical poetry is a term applied to many poets who wrote in a rather difficult and abstract style during the 1600's. John Donne and Andrew Marvell are probably the best known of these poets who write very intellectual poems that appeal to the minds, rather than the emotions of the readers. They use very clever but obscure and unusual, exaggerated imagery that demands the reader think about their poems rather than feel them emotionally. Their verbal humor and philosophy about life is often embedded in their poems with a very harsh meter. As John Donne said, " I sing not siren-like, to tempt, for I am harsh." Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a Romantic poet, claims that Donne's poems sounded like "a forge and fire-blast."  Critics claimed that metaphysical poets were only writing to show off their intelligence. However,many others enjoy figuring out metaphysical poems and approach them like solving a riddle. 

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/andrew-marvell-salem/andrew-marvell

   http://www.enotes.com/poetry-donne-salem

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   Posted by ms-mcgregor on Thursday March 26, 2009 at 8:13 PM