4.John Donne.pptVIP

英国文学教案（分页） 授课教师：陈红 John Donne  Key words Metaphysical Poets Conceit “ The Flea” Metaphysical Poetry Highly intellectualized poetry written chiefly in 17th-century England. Less concerned with expressing feeling than with analyzing it. Metaphysical poetry is marked by bold and ingenious conceits. John Donne was the leading Metaphysical poet; others include George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, Andrew Marvell, and Abraham Cowley. Metaphysical Poets Metaphysical Poets refer to a school of poets that appeared at the beginning of the 17th century. The works of the Metaphysical poets are characterized by mysticism in content and fantasticality in form. John Donne is the founder of the Metaphysical school of poetry. Metaphysical poetry uses conceits to express ideas. A conceit is an elaborate and surprising figure of speech, comparing two very dissimilar things. Metaphysical Conceits: Examples from Donne: A woman’s naked body as an explorer’s map—”Oh, my America!” Two lover’s bodies as a compass with two legs and a fulcrum (支点)point holding the two parts together The action of God’s grace as a battering ram, a metal worker melting and hammering a dented vessel, a rapist A flea’s body that has just bitten both lovers as a sacred altar or a marriage bed Metaphysical poetry is characterized by: --energetic, rough, or uneven movement, unlike the studied elegance, sweetness, and smoothness of 16th century verse --elaborate, strained, or far-fetched “conceits”; --dazzling displays of wit --a tendency toward logical argumentation or the structure of an argument in a poem --an interest in philosophical questions and speculation John Donne (1572-1631) Life The founder of the Metaphysical school of poetry. Lived and wrote during the succeeding reigns of Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I. The Flea I Mark but this flea, and mark in this, 你瞧这跳蚤，并听我说， How little that which thou deniest me is ; 就那么一丁点事儿，你也忍心拒绝我； Me it suck‘d first, and now sucks