Donne ( A New Theory of Love )

B. A. Thesis, 2013

The aim of the B. A. thesis called “The poetry of John Donne: T.S.Eliot as Critic and Poet” is to analyse Eliot’s view of John Donne in relation to his own poetry and critical work. This is also reflected in the structure of the paper. The first chapter following the introduction is devoted to the description of Eliot’s critical positions. The chapter should create a general background of the following discussion of Eliot’s view of John Donne. It deals with the issues like Eliot’s concept of tradition, the theory of depersonalization, Eliot’s attitude to the problem of Romanticism and Classicism, and his earlier account of metaphysical poetry. The next chapter discusses Eliot’s specific view of John Donne on the bases of his definition of metaphysical poetry. At first, it sets the problems connected with the definition to a wider perspective of literary criticism. It shows that there are not only different interpretations of the phrase “metaphysical poetry,” but the critics differ in the answer to the question which particular poets should belong to this group. Eliot deals with this topic in his lectures on metaphysical poets collected under the title The Varieties of Metaphysical Poetry. In this material, we can trace two complementary definitions of metaphysical poetry. Eliot stresses that the term has a general value, and he speaks about three metaphysical periods which are represented by the work of Dante, Donne and Laforgue. He shows that there was always philosophy and mysticism in the background of each poet, and that it is a necessary prerequisite of their metaphysical quality. That is why the rest of the chapter describes the philosophical and mystical background of the poetry of John Donne. Donne is regarded as a man influenced by modern philosophy which was influenced by Jesuitism. Ignatian imaginative method of meditation stands also on the background of Donne’s mysticism. The last chapter compares and contrasts Donne and Eliot in the perspective of Eliot’s idea of Donne’s peculiar type of metaphysical poetry. It includes concrete analyses of Donne’s and Eliot’s poems illustrating described relations. The first problem which the chapter deals with is the role of mysticism in metaphysical poetry in general and Donne’s and Eliot’s relation to the imaginative method of St.Ignatius. In a similar way, the paper compares and contrast Eliot’s and Donne’s philosophical background. As a result of the whole paper, we can see an interesting connection between Eliot’s critical work and his poetry, and his reflection of the work of John Donne.

In this article, we compare certain aspects of the love poetry of Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī (1207-1273), the most distinguished Sufi mystic and poet of the Persian language, and John Donne (1572-1631), the leading English poet of the Metaphysical school. Despite the cultural and age difference between the 13th century Persian Sufi and the English Christian poet of the Renaissance, there are striking similarities in their experience of love as revealed in their poetry. For both, love stands unique in the universe, creates a new status of self, engages lover and beloved in perfect union, obliterates temporality, integrates both body and soul and climbs to the heights of Divine jealousy. The two poets are worlds apart but the world of love to which they take their reader is essentially the same.

Целта на овој труд е да се разработат идеите и концептите со кои Џон Дан се служел во неговата поезија. Секако дека е тешко да се посочи на една конечна целина од карактеристики присутни во неговото творештво, но сепак веруваме дека малкумина не би се согласиле со изборот на оние седум кои укажуваат барем на јадрото од неговата поетска филозофија. По краткиот вовед во животот на Џон Дан, како и околностите и авантурите што се преточиле во неговиот карактер, следува суштината од оваа обработка, што се состои од две по важност еднакви поглавја. Првото поглавје е поделено на седум потпоглавја, што го означуваат нашиот избор од седум карактеристики со кои е обоена поезијата на Џон Дан. Тоа се: соодветност на поетски слики, јазик, страст, остроумност и дијалектика, парадокс, имагинација и, на крај, мисловна бравура изразена низ продолжена споредба што се граничи со метафора (conceit). Методата со која го воведуваме читателот во овие идеи и концепти е со дефинирање на истите, користејќи стихови земени од целокупното поетско творештво на Џон Дан, а потоа со цел тие да се опишат и истакнат, во ова поглавје се наведени извадоци од голем број песни како соодветни примери. Во вториот дел, пак, наместо споменатите идеи и концепти да се дефинираат, нив ги детектираме во една песна, а патем ќе се обидеме и да укажеме како таа ја одразува суштината на поетската филозофија на Џон Дан и на неговото поетско битие. Обработката на оваа песна, под наслов “A Nocturnal upon S. Lucies day, being the shortest day”, не цели кон објаснување на концептите и ставовите на Џон Дан, туку служи само како помагало за изразување на нашите погледи и ставови кон нив. Во заклучокот на овој труд уште еднаш накратко ја истакнуваме причината за нашиот избор. Притоа ја нагласуваме улогата што Џон Дан ја играл во ревидирањето на поезијата во неговото време и популарноста која тој тогаш ја уживал. На крај го потенцираме влијанието на неговите поетски иновации врз целокупната современа литература.

John Donne as a Metaphysical Poet

An allegory is a representation of a unique or profound importance through cement or material structures; allegorical treatment of one subject under the appearance of an alternate. It is a gadget in which characters or occasions speak to or symbolize thoughts and ideas. Allegory has been utilized broadly all through the historical backdrop of craft, and in all manifestations of craftsmanship. An explanation behind this is that allegory has a huge force of delineating complex plans and ideas in an edible, solid manner. In allegory a message is imparted by method for typical figures, activities or typical representation. It might additionally be characterized as a story with a shrouded good lesson. Its intention is to pass on some ethical and religious truth in a delightful manner. The bookworms are educated and enchanted at one and the same time. In the 'Fairie Queene' there is a combination of three sorts of purposeful anecdotes. • A moral and spiritual allegory managing the activity and collaboration of virtue and vice.

Sederi, 1996

Sederi VII (1996): 153—157 John Donne: The New Turn of Classical Tradition Laura LojoRodríguez UNIVERSIDADE DE SANTIAGO ... Magic, or Ancient Wisdon - Prisca Sapientiae - would have been given to man by God in order to improve human conditions after Adam's Fall. ...