The Metaphysical Poets Key Info
Author: Thomas Stearns Eliot (188-1965) Title of the Author: American-English poet, playwright, and literary critic Published Date: 1921 Original Title: “The Metaphysical Poets” Genre: Literary Criticism, Essay Subject Matter: Defending the Metaphysical poets against Dr. Samuel Johnson’s remark Must Focus: Unification of Sensibility & Dissociation of Sensibility (Thought/Thinking/Idea/Mind/In...
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The Metaphysical Poets Summary
Background
T. S. Eliot wrote his essay as a review. He reviewed the book by Sir Herbert John Grierson (1866-1960). The book was called “Metaphysical Lyrics and Poems of the 17th Century.” A review means talking about the good and bad points.
Before Eliot’s essay, people disliked these poets. Critics, especially Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), said their poems were strange and not good. The metaphy...
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The Metaphysical Poets Quotations
Quotes
"A thought to Donne was an experience; it modified his sensibility."
(Explanation: Donne’s ideas were not just thoughts; he felt them deeply. His thinking changed his emotions and imagination.)
“They do not feel their thought as immediately as the odour of a rose.”
(Explanation: Later poets could not feel their ideas naturally. Their thoughts were slow and lifeless compared to real e...
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Notes (14)
- How does Eliot distinguish between the intellectual poets and the reflective poets?
- How does Eliot refute Johnson’s remark on the poets whom he classified as metaphysical?
- How does Eliot praise Donne’s ability to unify the intellectual thoughts and sensation of feelings?
- How Does Eliot Distinguish between ‘the Unification of Sensibility’ and ‘the Dissociation of sensibility’?
- Comparison between Metaphysical Poets and Modern Poets
- What are the Similarities between Some Elizabethan Dramatists and Metaphysical Poets
- What does Eliot mean by ‘dissociation of sensibility’? Discuss.
- What similarities does Eliot discover between the modern poets and the metaphysicals?
- How did Eliot assess Johnson as a critic of the metaphysical poets?
- What are the influences of Milton and Dryden on the poets of the later ages?
- Write a short note on metaphysical poetry.
- What method does Eliot suggest for the assessment of the poets wrongly called the metaphysicals by Johnson?
- How does Eliot justify that the Elizabethan and the Jacobean poets were intelligent and the later poets were reflective?
- Brief Question of "The Metaphysical Poets".