The following entry was… Oh, heck, you know the drill…
Your literary responses will be one to one and a half pages in length. This equates to 350-450 words. Choose ONE topic from the Analytical Topics each week. And, then respond to only one fellow student in 100 words. Cut and paste your work and student response into the student comment section of the assignment. There is NO need to make your work into a document.
Writing Assignments:
Literary Response #5
See topics below
1. What similarities and differences do you note between the poetry of John Donne and that of Andrew Marvell? In what way does each poet exemplify metaphysical poetry?
2. Discuss the ways in which the Metaphysical Poets treat religion. In what way does it differ from the previous literary period’s treatment of that topic?
In reading the selected works for Marvell and Donne, we can find some subtle similarities between the two authors’ works. First, we may notice that the authors seem to have a knack and desire to make connections between the focal subject and the outside world. The outer world that the authors reference is not limited to simply the environment in which the subject resides; the whole universe—tangible, intangible, theoretical and theological—is potential fodder for the creation of poetic illustration and similes.
In his Definition of Love, Marvell writes of a love that is bound by the mental capacities of a couple that seem incapable of being physically joined. Marvell says that Fate—a notion of some divine power that establishes a clandestine plan; one that he seems to gives weight by making the noun proper through capitalization—holds the loves apart as if they are lying on two equal and parallel, yet separate planes of existence.
Speaking again on love—perhaps the same—in the letter to his Coy Mistress, we see Marvell being creative once more with the outer elements of life, relating them to a pining for the attention and his adoration and near idolization of another’s love. In this work, Marvell states that to be worthy of the other’s attention her coyness should last quite some time—from the period extending from the great Flood to the day of Judgment—so that his love should expand greater than any empire.
Donne draws together quite a few similes in his romantic tales of love. Donne’s passion for love seems a bit darker in some ways, yet shows that there is still illumination should the fires of a love remained kindled in happiness and not extinguished in sorrow. In his Sweetest Song, Donne has the words of a dying or recently deceased lover trying to comfort a grieving partner; the words also offer a viewpoint of how the grieving will bring about a darker depression in the widowed and hurriedly send away the joyful remembrances of lives spent together.
Donne seems to be very passionate about the union of two lovers, as is exemplified in The Flea. Our lovers in this poem have been supped upon by a common pest, and now contains a mixture of the two’s blood, creating a union of the lovers that they might never be able to create themselves. Many have written about the ultimate power, pleasure, and feeling of union can be achieved through intercourse—making love—with his/her partner; many have also expressed how strongly they have felt their love and wished that it was possible to be married in a stronger sense—to be joined and mixed in an even more perfect union. Donne’s flea makes this possible. Unfortunately, our partner murders the flea beneath her nail, not being aware of the symbolism seen by our author.
Marvell and Donne speak of a romantic sort of love and draw comparisons to things and places that we may not or even consider in speaking of love. Marvell with his undying love for one that cannot or should not yet be had; Donne with his love that is fearful of dying—though the authors have slight differences in their vantages and styles, they speak of the same thing in similar tongues.
[EDITED 11/8/2011 to include comments that were made in class since initial posting.]
The following comments were received:
Falyn Dimas:
I completely agree with you that Marvell and Donne were powerful in their ability to make comparisons between things that we would not normally put together. However, Marvell was not writing about a great love in To his Coy Mistress.
“Had we but world enough, and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime.”
If you read the first line of Marvell’s poem, it sets the tone for the entire rest of the piece. He is sort of using a reverse psychology method telling her that her coyness would be ok if they had an eternity. Then he goes on into the second paragraph to tell her:
“But at my back I always hear
Time’s winged chariot hurrying near;”
Which means that they obviously do not have an eternity. That they will not be able to embrace again when they are dead. Basically, it is a humorous poem because he is trying to convince her to sleep with him but despite his best efforts she continues to be coy (his word for a tease). He sees her virtue as a nuisance which the reader gets from his tone and word choice.
Believe me these are not my own words, I just happened to complete a course where we studied this poem in great length so that is where this information comes from 🙂
Rebekka Austin:
Jeremiah,
The intriguing aspect of the metaphysical poet is his use of wit as an undertone to his works. Other posts hit the nail on the head with her comments about Marvell and his brazen bedroom talk. How would it work out for a guy today to say… you know.. you are really hot right now, but soon enough you will be old and ugly… so let’s have sex now… come on… carpe deim. I doubt this would fly at all! However, this is precisely what Marvell says:
Now therefore, while the youthful hue
Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
And while thy willing soul transpires
At every pore with instant fires,
Now let us sport us while we may,
And now, like am’roud birds of prey…
It is a wonder he wasn’t beaten… however, it is clear that he is using some wit as an undertone, and probably being quite truthful about the mans perspective on prolonging the inevitable actions with coyness.
Good post.
Prof. Maurene Hinds
Jeremiah,
You’ve made some good points throughout here. Even though the poems can be viewed as harsh in some ways (tone, style, etc.), the emotions behind them (even if coming from basic needs) are valid. Perhaps some of the poets were more realistic about certain issues, but the underlying issues and emotions grew from human nature and experience. They simply chose to express those ideas in ways not yet seen before. 🙂