Comparison Of John Donne And George Herbert: The Metaphysical Poet

John Donne and George Herbert: the Metaphysical Brothers of Poetry

Although not an official or formal school of poetry Metaphysical Poetry is widely present in 17th century English poetry. According to the Norton Anthology of English Literature, English poets such as Herbert, Vaughan, Crashaw, Marvell, Traherne, and Cowley can all be attributed as Metaphysical poets (1262). Coined by critics such as Samuel Johnson and William Hazlitt, Metaphysical poetry contains complex conceits and self-conscious leaning (1262). Metaphysical poetry concerns the whole experience of man; however, it primarily details love, romance, and man’s relationship with God. In association with Metaphysical poetry the device known as metaphysical conceit was developed.

“Given the shape of Donne’s career, it is no surprise that his poems and prose works display an astonishing variety of attitudes, viewpoints, and feelings on the great subjects of love and religion (1262).” Due to his own struggle and transitions in regards to religion Donne’s poetry often reflected his struggle with his faith. “As a distinguished clergyman in the Church of England, Donne had traveled an immense distance from the religion of his childhood and the brilliant and idiosyncratic mind at work, refashioning his profane conceits to serve a new and higher purpose (1261).” In his work “The Holy Sonnet 14” Donne’s speaker highlights his struggle with faith by making comparing himself to a structure that is against the glory of God despite his efforts to embrace him which makes the poem an ideal example of a Metaphysical poem using conceit to convey its message. In the beginning of his work Donne’s speaker is direct as he asks God to batter his heart, “Batter my heart, three-personed God; for you as yet but knock, breath, shine, and seek to mend (lines 1-2).” The speaker seems to want God to take control over him as he continues, “Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new (line 4).” The speaker later admits that something in him is against the will

Throughout his works Herbert’s struggle to define is relationship with God is heavily reflected upon as he includes biblical metaphors rooted with the tensions of relationships similar to those in his own society (1605). Upon coming to terms with the idea that his relationship with Christ was radically unequal Herbert constantly struggle with the paradox that his works should give an acceptable amount of praise to God being that he is a Christian poet. Such is the very much present in his work “The Alter.” In this shaped-verse poem Herbert uses Metaphysical conceit as a device as he compares a broken alter to humans of which Herbert also believes to be broken as they are full of sin. In the first few lines Herbert expresses the condition of the alter as he describes it to be constructed of human qualities, “Made of a heart, and cemented with tears (line 2).” It can be readily accepted that the alter is also the heart of a church or place of worship making the metaphor more in-depth. Herbert is conveying man or man’s heart to the