essay on metaphysical poetry of seventeen century in 500 words minimum
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Metaphysical wit and conceit are two of the most famous literary devices used in the seventeenth century by poets such as John Donne. Emerging out of the Petrarchan era, metaphysical poetry brought a whole new way of expression and imagery dealing with emotional, physical and spiritual issues of that time. In this essay I will critically analyse the poem, The Flea written by John Donne in which he makes light of his sexual intentions with his lover. In the first stanza of the poem, Donne tries to convince his lover to have sexual intercourse with him. At first one would not realize that this is his intention because he uses a flea to describe sex which is a very far-fetched description of the act hence this poem being metaphysical. ‘Yet this enjoys before it woo, And pamper’d swells with one blood made of two; And this, alas! Is more than we would do.’ Donne is very convincing in the second stanza where he speaks of the duration of their relationship being long enough to consider being married to each other. He appeals to her using conceit implying that they should consecrate their relationship as if they were married. By suggesting this he shows that he wants to commit to her and the seriousness of their relationship to him. ‘Where we almost, yea, more than married are. This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage bed, and marriage temple In the latter part of the second stanza, he urges her to be logical and not deny sex from him because if she does she is indirectly killing him. This could be emotionally in the sense that if she withholds sex from him it implies that she does not trust him on an intimate level. If he experienced an emotional death so would she experience one too and the love that they share. The importance of the act of her giving in to his wishes is once again being reiterated. ‘Though use make you apt to kill me, Let not to that self-murder added be, And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.’