What is a metaphysical poem?The term "metaphysical" when applied to poetry has a long and interesting history. You should know this, but the information in Helen Gardner's Introduction to The Metaphysical Poets(Penguin)is more than adequate. Luckily, you have no time in an exam for a lengthy discussion. The examiner wants to see you discuss the text.Metaphysical poetry is concerned with the whole experience of man, but the intelligence, learning and seriousness of the poets means that the poetry is about the profound areas of experience especially - about love, romantic and sensual; about man's relationship with God - the eternal perspective, and, to a less extent, about pleasure, learning and art.Metaphysical poems are lyric poems. They are brief but intense meditations, characterized by striking use of wit, irony and wordplay. Beneath the formal structure (of rhyme, metre and stanza) is the underlying (and often hardly less formal) structure of the poem's argument. Note that there may be two(or more) kinds of argument in a poem. In To His Coy Mistress the explicit argument (Marvell's request that the coy lady yield to his passion) is a stalking horse for the more serious argument about the transitoriness of pleasure. The outward levity conceals (barely) a deep seriousness of intent. You would be able to show how this theme of carpe diem (“seize the day”) is made clear in the third section of the poem."Holy Sonnet 10:" John Donne's Address to DeathThe sonnet is one of the most respected forms of poetry, one of the most difficult to compose and one of the most moving to read. John Donne's seventeenth century sonnet "Holy Sonnet 10" is a powerful example of the emotional strength of the sonnet, with its demonstration of deep personal meaning to the poet, and with the force of the feelings shown. Donne writes passionately abouthis feelings towards death, and his belief that death is not the "Mighty and dreadful" (2) entity that people fear. John Donne addresses a personified death throughout "Holy Sonnet 10," charging death that it is not powerful, as it believes, but simply a peaceful escape from life, and an entity dependant on others to accomplish his wishes. Donne expresses his feelings regarding death to the reader by appearing to be speaking with death, and thereby shows the apparent mortality of death. "Holy Sonnet 10" is constructed of poetic devices that greatly increase the power of Donne's message, and show the significance and importance of the theme. John Donne uses very effectively chosen vocabulary in this sonnet to create a specific attitude in the reader, particularly through the use of the connotation of his chosen words. Metaphors occur frequently throughout the poem to enforce the significance of the poem's intended purpose, and Donne's comparison of death to sleep. The most important and powerful poetic deviceused in "Holy Sonnet 10" is personification. Used when describing death, personification captures the entire purpose of the poem at each application, and Donne's feelings are displayed most strongly at these points. "Holy Sonnet 10" uses these poetic devices and Donne's powerful feelings to express the evident lack of substance and power of death, a normally feared and terrible entity. John Donne's choice of words for "Holy Sonnet 10" is very important to the theme of the poem because of its significant impression on the audience. Donne uses connotation frequently to show his disdain for death's pride, and to illustrate the weakness of death. Donne describes how people think of death as "Mighty and dreadful" (2), both words implying a fearful respect and showing how much people are awed by death. "Mighty" (2) shows the apparent power of death over all living things, and "dreadful" (2) communicates the suffering people undergo from their fear of death, and from death itself. Throughout "Holy Sonnet 10" death is described as "rest and sleep" (5), implying theineffectiveness of death, and the shortness of its effects. "[R]est and sleep" (5) have the reader viewing death as a far from permanent condition, as sleep is a reasonably short-lived occurrence that one will wake up from. When writing of the feeling of death and sleep Donne uses "pleasure" (6) to describe what death must be like, implying that not only is death not to be feared, but that it is also an enjoyable experience. John Donne shows the reader that death is not to be feared, but to be welcomed as a relaxing escape from life. Again describing death, Donne uses the word "slave" (9) in conjunction with a metaphor, to show how weak death is. The definition of a "slave" (9) is someone who must obey another's bidding, and therefore Donne is showing the lack of true substance or power of death. Another example of the connotation used by Donne along with a metaphor occurs with a comparison of death's methods to "poppy or charms" (11). This connotation exhibits that the feeling of death isnot necessarily painful, and "poppy or charms"(11) both imply a peaceful and relaxed passing into sleep or death, therefore greatly diminishing the fear of death. A final use of connotation is Donne's use of "eternally" (13) to describe life after waking from death."[E]ternally" (13), while meaning the same thing as forever, is a much more powerful word, which will give the reader the impression of a much longer period of time. "[E]ternally" (13) also shows a more pleasurable tme, therefore showing that after death the afterilife will be both enjoyable and never-ending. Donne uses his choice of words very effectively to convey the theme that death is not the overpowering force that society believes it to be.死神莫骄妄约翰.邓恩死神莫骄妄,虽有人称你蛮横可怖,其实外强中干;你自以为能把众生摧残,但枉然;可怜的死神,我超越你! 你不过类似睡眠,憩息,必然比安眠更令人舒坦;故而人杰英豪不怕归天,无非白骨入土,灵魂安息.你受厄运,杀机,暴君与狂徒差遣, 用毒药,战争和疾病害人;鸦片与妖术也能使人昏,且更灵验,你何必如此气焰!凡人了却浮生,但精神永生, 超脱死的魔掌,灭绝死神!。
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