Studies in English Language and Literature

John Donne's The Good-Morrow : Critical appreciation OR Substance OR Metaphysical love poem John Donne's The Good-Morrow  is a Metaphysical love poem. The term 'meta' means 'beyond' and 'physical' means 'bodily'. That is to say, 'metaphysical' means 'beyond physical'. However, Dr. Samuel Johnson named this school of poets to be metaphysical because of their use of conceits that are seeming strange to the conventional world. That is to say, according to Dr. Johnson, these poets belonged out of the physical or the real world. Anyway, he termed them derogatorily. Let us now have a cursory glance at the poem The Good-Morrow . The speaker persona in the poem, at the outset, expresses utmost astonishment thinking that their previous 'pleasures' were no love at all. They were actually immature in the game of love. That is why the speaker utters the word 'wean'd'. 'Weaning' refers to the act of making a child h...

Question: Discuss Donne’s  The Anniversary  as a metaphysical love poem. / Write a critical appreciation of  The Anniversary . / Attempt a critical analysis of the poem. Answer: At the outset, let us have a clear concept of metaphysical love poem.  A metaphysical love poem is distinguished by the preponderance of the intellectual over the emotional element, and it is expected to make use of some conceits that are brilliant. In John Donne’s metaphysical poem named The Anniversary , we find that all these conditions are fructified complacently.  The poem gives an account of a couple celebrating their first year in a relationship. The fundamental conceit of the entire poem is the metaphor of royalty. Simultaneously, imagery of divinity and death permeate the poem. The vital interest lies in the manner in which Donne uses royal imagery to convey the thought of a love.  The opening lines imminently proclaim that not only Kings, but also ...