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ABSTRACT
The conceit originally means a concept or an image. It is in general a figure of speech that presents striking parallel between two different things or situations. The history of English poetry witnessed the adaptation of two types of conceit: the petrarchan conceit and the metaphysical conceit. This paper sheds lights on the second type of conceit which was mainly employed by
John Donne (1572-1631) and the other metaphysical poets of the seventeenth century. This paper is composed of three sections and a conclusion that brings about the findings of the study. Section One: is introductory to metaphysical poetry in general. Its major features, major representatives in addition to some critics ' viewpoints concerning it.
Section Two: sheds light on the deep roots of the conceit in the history of the classical and English literature.
Section Three: tackles the metaphysical conceit in English literature with reference to certain poetic examples that are still in mind up-to-date.
Conclusion :sums-up the findings of the study
I.1: Introduction
Metaphysical poetry is a poetic mode, which appeared during the seventeenth century lead by John Donne and succeeded by several other poets as
George Herbert, Andrew Marvell, Henry Vaughan and Richard Carshaw.
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Those poets shared a philosophical point of view and strongly opposed the mode of the idealized human nature and of physical love which was a tradition in Elizabethan poetry(Abrams:1999,p158)
At the beginning the name of this school was intended to be derogatory expressing the opposition and hard criticism that it received. Ben Jonson said:
"Donne deserved hanging because he had run roughshod over the conventional rhythm and
imagery
and
smoothness
of
the
Elizabethan
poetry".
(http://spider,Georgetowncollge/www.Metaphysical.com, p.2of6)
The Metaphysical poets were more interested in the
Bibliography: MARTIN 'S, 2001 - Penguin Books, 1990 _ Grieson, H.G.C: Metaphysical Lyrics and Poems of the 17th . Oxford University Press, 1969. Vaughan, Rama Brothers, 2010 _ Lawrence, Karen et al: The McGraw Hill Guide To English Literature, USA, MCGraw Hill Publishing company, 1985 (edit.)London, 1976.