ROMANTIC POETRY AND METAPHYSICAL POETRY

ROMANTIC POETRY

Romantic poetry is different from Metaphysical poetry. When it comes to romantic poetry, reason and logic take a backseat. Romantic poetry is a type of poetry, which exhibit such features as imagination, emotion, love for nature and so on. Many believed and argue that William Wordsworth gave birth to Romanticism in the history of English literature. Literary critics consider since Wordsworth and Coleridge published their "Lyrical Ballads", it mark the beginning of the English Romantic movement. Although there are many critical opinions regarding the Romantic Movement however i am not going to touch it. Not because I am afraid to lose my track but I don't desire to fill the page with argument beside it's has been the subject of hot controversy among many critics of the world. Cazamian defines Romanticism in A History of English Literature as ''The Romantic spirit can be defined as an accentuated predominace of emotional life, provoked or directed by the exercise of imaginative vision, and in its turn stimulating or directing such exercise.'' Some critics considered Romanaticism as "Renascence of Wonder.''

Imagination is the hallmark or core or essence of romantic poetry. In the words of William Wordsworth, ''poetry is the first and last of all knowledge''. They discredited the influence of reason and intellect in any form of their poetry. Love for nature is another important feature of romantic poetry, it has always play vital role in their life. Nature is the one, which comfort them and blossom happiness within their heart. It's a place where they can meditate and lost deep into the imagination. The one thing which rules the world of romantic poetry is emotion. It's the best means to let loose one's emotion through words. The overflow of emotion depicted though romantic poetry transcends the boundaries of logical reasoning.

In our syllabus a Romantic poem called ''The Cloud'' by P.B Shelley:-

I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers
From the seas and the streams
I bear light shade for the leaves when laid
In their noon-day dreams

P.B Shelley imagination is brilliant, a we see that the cloud is speaking, taking credit for watering the thirsty flowers and providing shade for the trees. However this stanza continues to demonstrate the power of cloud. When thundering, eh could imagine that the cloud is crying.

As I mentions earlier, romantic poetry carried unique features. Just as the imagination of Wordsworth and P.B Shelley, they speak through their heart, emotion, thought, feeling, idea bound from their deep heart. That's why millions of people love romantic poems as their imagination attract them beside they are so close to our heart.

There are several female well known writers such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Hannah More, Joanna Baille, Rothwell Mary Shelley and so on. My favourite Poem by ELizabeth Barrett Browning.. here it goes.

How can I Love thee?

How do i love thee? let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grance.

I love thee to the level of every day's

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise

I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath
Smiles, tears, of all my life, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

She wrote this poem to represent her love toward her husband Robert Browning. Not only but whole 44 sonnets to express her love to him. It's very romantic and lovely poem, when I was in Nepal, one of my teacher explained me this beautiful poem and recommend me to read the rest of sonnets. I love reading those beautiful poems and i recommend you to read it as well.

METAPHYSICAL POETRY

The word ‘Meta’ means ‘beyond’ and ‘physical’ so the literal translation of metaphysical is ‘’physical nature’’.  Metaphysical poetry means poetry that goes beyond the physical world of the senses and explores the spiritual world. It began early in the Jacobean age in the last stage of the age of Shakespeare.

Basically, metaphysics deals with questions that can’t be explained by science. It questions the nature of reality in a philosophical way. Such as Does God exist? Is consciousness limited to the brain? So on as metaphysical poetry can cover a broad range of topics from religions to consciousness; however all the questions about metaphysics ponder the nature of reality. And of course, there is no one correct answers to any of these questions. Metaphysics is about exploration and philosophy, not about science and math. The poem classified in this group do share common characteristics, they are all highly intellectualized, use rather strange imagery, use frequent paradox and contain extremely complicated thought.

Literary critic and poet Samuel Johnson first coined the term ‘metaphysical poetry’ in his book Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets (1179-1781). In the book, he wrote about a group of 17^th century British poets that includes John Donne, Henry Vaughan and so on. He noted how the poets shared many common characteristics, especially ones of wit and elaborated style. Some well-known English poets say John Donne was the founder or leader of the metaphysical school of poetry.

As mention above, metaphysical poetry contained large doses of wit. In fact, although the poets were examining serious questions about the existence of God or whether a human could possibly perceive the world, the poets were sure to ponder those questions with humour. It also sought to shock the reader and wake them up from their normal existence in order to question the unquestionable. As they are filled with emotion, logic, reason, which always make the reader to think twice or thrice. The poetry often mixed ordinary speech with paradoxes and puns. The results were strange, comparing unlikely thing, such as lovers to a compass or the soul to a drop of dew. These weird comparisons were called conceits.

We accept the belief that any state of mind is extremely complex and chiefly composed of odds and ends in constant flux manipulated by desire and fear. What is true of his mind is true but in different terms of his language and versification. A style, a rhythm to be significant, must embody a significant mind, must be produced by the necessity of new form for a new content. These poets attempt to transcend the physical sphere in order to gain perspective or vision.

The Retreat by Henry Vaughan

 Happy those early days! When I

Shined in my angel infancy.

 Before I understood this place

Appointed for my second race,

Henry Vaughan deal with the loss of the heavenly glory experience during the childhood and expresses strong desire to turn back again.  In the poem retreat, Henry Vaughan expressed his desire to that sinless stage, innocent and ignorance. As sin has fall upon him, he couldn’t able to concentrate and face the difficulty.