The Metaphysical Poets Summary

The term "Metaphysical poets" was first used by critic Samuel Johnson to describe a group of 17th-century English poets. Their poetry is known for its clever and imaginative comparisons (called conceits) and a style that sounds more like speech than song.

These poets were not part of an organized movement, and their styles varied greatly. Many were not widely appreciated until the 20th century, when critics recognized their importance. Because they belonged to the Baroque period, some suggest calling them "Baroque poets" instead. But T.S. Eliot's 1921 essay, "The Metaphysical Poets," took a fresh look at the poetry of 17th-century writers like John Donne, George Herbert, and Andrew Marvell. This essay is now considered a really important piece of modern literary criticism.

Summary

"The Metaphysical Poets," begins by praising Professor Grierson's anthology of 17th-century poetry. Eliot argues that this collection is more than just a gathering of poems; it's a critical statement and invites further discussion. He points out that while some of the poems are already well-known, others, like those by Aurelian Townshend and Lord Herbert of Cherbury, are less so. Grierson's focus on Donne, even though his work is readily available elsewhere, is justified, according to Eliot, because it helps define "metaphysical poetry."

Eliot explains that the term "metaphysical poetry" is often used negatively or simply as a label for a peculiar taste. The real question, he says, is whether these poets formed a distinct group or "movement" and if they represent a deviation from the main path of English poetry. Defining metaphysical poetry is difficult, as is deciding which poets belong to the group and which of their poems qualify. Donne's poetry, for example, shares similarities with late Elizabethan writers like Chapman. "Courtly" poetry descends from Jonson, while devotional poets like Herbert, Vaughan, and Crashaw have a lineage that stretches back to early Italian poets through the Elizabethans.

Eliot notes the challenge of identifying a specific use of metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech that applies to all the metaphysical poets and is significant enough to set them apart. Donne and sometimes Cowley use a technique of extensively developing a figure of speech, like Cowley's comparison of the world to a chessboard and Donne's comparison of lovers to compasses. However, Donne also uses a different approach, where he connects ideas rapidly, demanding quick thinking from the reader, as seen in the poem about the tear becoming a globe and then a deluge. Still other of Donne's powerful effects come from concise wording and stark contrasts, such as "A bracelet of bright hair about the bone," where the juxtaposition of "bright hair" and "bone" creates a strong impact. This technique of combining contrasting images and associations is also found in the works of dramatists like Middleton, Webster, and Tourneur, who were contemporaries of Donne.

Samuel Johnson coined the term "metaphysical poets," primarily thinking of Donne, Cleveland, and Cowley. He criticized them for "yoking by violence together" unrelated ideas. Eliot acknowledges the validity of this criticism, particularly when considering the work of Cleveland. However, he argues that a degree of "heterogeneity" is present in all poetry. He illustrates this with examples from Johnson's own work, showing that even in great poetry, the effect often relies on a contrast of ideas, similar in principle, though different in degree, to what Johnson criticized. He then cites Bishop King's "Exequy," where the extended comparison of the husband's journey to meet his dead wife is perfectly integrated, demonstrating the successful use of the technique. Eliot also draws attention to stanzas from Lord Herbert's Ode, which he considers clearly "metaphysical" despite their simple language and clear meaning.

Eliot emphasizes that the language of these poets is generally simple and pure, especially in the case of George Herbert. While their sentence structure can be complex, this complexity reflects the complexity of their thoughts and feelings. He contrasts the diverse musicality of Marvell's "Coy Mistress" and Crashaw's "Saint Teresa," both written in ostensibly the same meter, as evidence of the variety achieved by these poets. Since Johnson, a shrewd critic, struggled to define metaphysical poetry by its flaws, Eliot suggests trying a different approach: assuming that these 17th-century poets represent a direct continuation of the previous era and examining their virtues, which he believes were lost in later periods.

Johnson noted that their "attempts were always analytic," but Eliot argues that they also reconstructed the material into a new unity. The dramatic verse of the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean period shows a heightened sensibility not found in the prose of the time. These dramatists, influenced by Montaigne, incorporated their learning into their feelings. Chapman, like Donne, demonstrates a "sensuous apprehension of thought." Eliot contrasts a passage from Chapman with a modern example, highlighting the difference between the intellectual poet and the reflective poet. Tennyson and Browning, he argues, are poets who think, but they don't feel their thoughts with the same immediacy as Donne. For Donne, a thought was an experience that altered his sensibility. The poet's mind, when functioning optimally, constantly blends diverse experiences into new wholes, unlike the ordinary person whose experiences remain separate.

Eliot proposes that the 17th-century poets, continuing the tradition of 16th-century dramatists, possessed a "mechanism of sensibility" capable of absorbing any kind of experience. However, this unity of sensibility began to disintegrate in the 17th century, a process furthered by the influence of Milton and Dryden. These poets, while achieving greatness in certain areas, lacked others. While the language became more refined, the feeling became more superficial. Eliot argues that the feeling in poems like Gray's "Elegy" is less profound than that in Marvell's "Coy Mistress." The sentimental age followed, with poets reacting against reason and description, thinking and feeling in a fragmented way. While some poets like Shelley attempted to regain this unified sensibility, they were cut short by death, leaving later poets to "ruminate."

Eliot then speculates on how poetry might have evolved if it had continued directly from the metaphysical poets. They wouldn't be labeled "metaphysical" at all. A poet's interests can be varied, and intelligence is a positive quality, as long as these interests are transformed into poetry. These poets, like all others, had flaws, but they were engaged in the crucial task of finding verbal expressions for mental and emotional states. This, Eliot argues, makes them more mature and enduring than later poets of comparable skill.

Poets aren't required to be interested in philosophy or any specific subject. However, in our complex civilization, poets are likely to be "difficult" because their refined sensibility interacts with this complexity, producing intricate results. The poet needs to become more comprehensive, allusive, and indirect to mold language to their meaning. This can lead to something resembling the "conceit" and a method similar to the metaphysical poets, even in its use of obscure words and simple phrasing. Eliot provides examples from French poets like Laforgue and Corbière, who share similarities with Donne's school. He also points out that even more classical poets like Baudelaire possess this ability to transform ideas into sensations.

Eliot suggests that it might be a loss to English poetry that two of its greatest masters of language, Milton and Dryden, focused on other poetic qualities while neglecting exploration of the soul. He argues that simply looking into one's heart is insufficient; poets need to examine deeper aspects of human experience, like Racine and Donne did.

Finally, Eliot concludes that Donne, Crashaw, Vaughan, Herbert, Marvell, King, and Cowley (at his best) belong to the main current of English poetry. Their faults should be judged by this standard, not excused because they are "metaphysical" or "witty." While acknowledging the importance of Johnson's critical perspective, Eliot suggests that Johnson's classification of these poets needs to be re-evaluated. He envisions a substantial work that would explore the nuances of these poets, from Donne's powerful verse to the delicate work of Townshend, whose poem is unfortunately missing from Grierson's anthology.

Shorter form

T. S. Eliot’s essay The Metaphysical Poets (1921) is a critical discussion of poets like John Donne, George Herbert, Andrew Marvell, Richard Crashaw, and others, who are often labeled as "metaphysical." He analyzes their unique style, techniques, and their place in literary history.

The Importance of Grierson’s Anthology

Eliot begins by praising Professor Grierson’s collection of metaphysical poetry, which brings attention to poets who were often named but not deeply studied. He believes Grierson’s book is not just an anthology but also a form of criticism, sparking further analysis of these poets.

Defining Metaphysical Poetry

Eliot explains that the term metaphysical poetry has often been used either as criticism or as a label for an unusual poetic style. However, it is difficult to define precisely. These poets do not always share a single technique or subject matter. Some, like Donne, are connected to Elizabethan poetry, while others, like George Herbert, write religious verse.

The Use of Conceits and Complex Imagery

One of the key features of metaphysical poetry is the use of conceits—extended and surprising metaphors. For example:

• Cowley compares the world to a chessboard in a long, detailed metaphor.
• Donne, in A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, compares two lovers to the legs of a compass, extending the metaphor skillfully.

However, Eliot notes that some metaphysical poets do not just elaborate comparisons but also make quick jumps between ideas. For instance, Donne moves from a globe to a tear and then to the Biblical flood (deluge) in one of his poems. This requires the reader to be intellectually agile.

The Role of Contrast and Sudden Associations

Another characteristic of metaphysical poetry is its abrupt contrasts. For example, Donne’s line "A bracelet of bright hair about the bone" suddenly shifts from an image of beauty to one of death. Eliot connects this technique to dramatists like Shakespeare and John Webster, who used similar methods in their plays.

Samuel Johnson’s Criticism of Metaphysical Poets

Eliot discusses how Samuel Johnson criticized metaphysical poets, saying they force together unrelated ideas ("yoked by violence together"). Eliot agrees that this can be a flaw when the ideas do not fully connect, as in some of Cleveland’s poetry. However, he argues that all great poetry involves blending different ideas, and even Johnson himself used this technique in The Vanity of Human Wishes.

Successful Use of Metaphysical Style

Eliot provides examples of poets who successfully use extended metaphors and contrasts:

• Bishop King in Exequy compares his longing for his dead wife to a journey, making the metaphor deeply emotional.
• Lord Herbert of Cherbury uses complex metaphors and creates a mystical atmosphere in his poetry.

Metaphysical Poets and Their Strengths:

Eliot praises the clarity, simplicity, and elegance of metaphysical poetry.

The poets’ language is usually pure and straightforward, though their sentence structures can be complex.

Their strength lies in their ability to combine thought and feeling seamlessly.

They express their ideas with intensity, making their poetry feel immediate and alive.

Comparison to Other Poets:

Eliot contrasts the metaphysical poets with 18th- and 19th-century poets, such as Tennyson and Browning.

He argues that earlier poets “felt their thoughts”, while later poets merely reflected on them.

The difference lies in how ideas were experienced—Donne and his contemporaries absorbed thought into their very emotions.

Dissociation of Sensibility:

Eliot introduces the idea that after the metaphysical poets, a “dissociation of sensibility” occurred.

This means that poetry after the 17th century separated thought and emotion rather than blending them.

He blames this shift partly on the influence of Milton and Dryden, whose poetry was highly structured but lacked emotional depth.

Comparison of Metres and Styles:

Eliot highlights how Marvell and Crashaw use the same metre in vastly different ways—one fast and sharp, the other solemn and grand.

He contrasts Herbert’s personal, intellectual poetry with Tennyson’s smoother, more sentimental verse to show how poetry changed.

Philosophy and Poetry:

The metaphysical poets used philosophical ideas not just as topics but as part of their sensory experience.

A thought in their poetry was as immediate as a scent or a visual image.

Later poets, however, became more reflective and separated thought from emotion.

Influence on Modern Poetry:

Eliot argues that modern poets, like the French Jules Laforgue and Tristan Corbière, share similarities with the metaphysical poets.

They both experiment with language and imagery in a way that echoes Donne’s style.

Re-evaluating Metaphysical Poets:

Eliot believes that the metaphysical poets should not just be seen as “quaint” or “witty” but as serious contributors to English poetry.

He suggests that Johnson’s critique of them (particularly Cowley and Cleveland) should be understood in its context rather than taken as final judgment.

Rather than classifying them narrowly as “metaphysical,” they should be seen as part of the direct current of English poetry.

Thus, Eliot argues that the metaphysical poets had a richer, more unified way of experiencing and expressing thought and emotion. Over time, poetry lost this quality due to a dissociation of sensibility, which led to a separation between intellect and feeling. He suggests that rather than dismissing the metaphysical poets as obscure or outdated, they should be appreciated for their complexity, innovation, and lasting influence on poetry.