Hello.
This lecture is on other writers of the Civil War period and the metaphysical poets.
There was also the political philosopher Thomas Hobbes. Thomas Hobbes is the author of Leviathan.
This is also the time, the 17th century is the time of the Civil War. It is also the time of the Metaphysical poets.
During the Civil War,
there were the Cavalier poets also. Some of the Cavalier poets are also Metaphysical poets.
The Cavalier poets were all influenced by Ben Jonson
and the Metaphysical poets were influenced by John Donne. The important metaphysical
poets are Abraham Cowley, who wrote The Mistress, Of Myself.
He formulated the irregular ode in the book Pindarique Odes. Abraham Cowley was very illustrious and famous
man at that time. Then Andrew Marvell. You know he is the author of "To His Coy Mistress." Andrew Marvell
has also written many other important poems, such as "Bermudas", "The Garden", "Upon Appleton House", Mower Poems,
"Last Instructions to a Painter", etc. Some of the Metaphysical poets were Cavaliers, as I told you.
These include Robert Herrick and Thomas Carew. Robert Herrick wrote the famous poem "Gather ye rosebuds
while ye may", which is the best expression of Carpe diem philosophy. One of the most important features
of Metaphysical poetry was the employment of Carpe diem philosophy or seize the day,
Make hay while the sun shines.
I will talk to you about the features of Metaphysical poetry at the end. Thomas Carew was another
Metaphysical Cavalier. He wrote an elegy on John Donne famously. There were the religious metaphysicals -- George
Herbert, Richard Crashaw... George Herbert wrote The Temple, Richard Crashaw wrote The Steps to the Temple.
And Henry Vaughan. Henry Vaughan wrote The Retreat, which inspired Wordsworth's Immortality Ode. Henry Vaughan also
wrote The Waterfall.
There was Thomas Traherne, whose poems are collected as Centuries of Meditations.
Now, the features of Metaphysical poetry. Metaphysical poetry is a rebellion against the musical, mellifluous
Petrarchan poetry. Metaphysical poetry is written in a conversational style, shocking style, sometimes.
"For God's sake, hold your tongue and let me love." One of the poems of John Donne begins like that.
So conversational style, shocking beginnings, intellectual wit, syllogistic arguments,
metaphysical conceits. Any conceit means far-fetched comparisons. Petrarchan conceit is romantic. Metaphysical
conceit is intellectual, disturbing. Metaphysical poetry also employed Carpe diem philosophy, or make hay
while the sun shines, which is not a romantic or ethical philosophy. So that is about the writers of the
Civil War period. Mainly
we talked about Milton, other important prose writers, and the Metaphysical poets. Look out for the next
lecture on Restoration period.
Thank you very much.