Metaphysical Poetry

	Metaphysical poetry timeline	Who were the Metaphysicals?
	What is Metaphysical poetry?	The context of Metaphysical poetry
	List of metaphysical poets	What makes a good Metaphysical poetry exam answer?

What this study guide covers

• ‘A’ and ‘AS’ set texts on Metaphysical poetry in general
• Specific poets, such as John Donne, George Herbert, and Andrew Marvell.

It includes

• Background historical material
• A summary of some of the major themes
• Analyses of specific poems. Most of the major poems have detailed analysis, covering all aspects of the poems, including theme, imagery and form
• More general summaries of other poems
• Each analysis has points for discussion and questions on the text
• Opportunities to reflect on your own experiences and views.

Context

The guide provides the historical background against which many of the poems were written. One of the biggest differences between the seventeenth century and today is that the period in which the Metaphysical Poets were writing was a religious age, not a secular one. This meant that the Bible and other religious texts, including those used in worship, were well known. In most cases, the Bible would be the Authorised Version (or King James' Version), first printed in 1611. Before that, several Elizabethan versions were current, but as the Authorised Version was heavily dependent on these, the A.V. is the version explained here.

Exam preparation

The remaining sections are study guide material, to help you prepare for coursework and examinations.

A note about spelling

Some set texts have modernised spelling; some keep to the original seventeenth century spelling as found in the various manuscripts or early editions. This site uses the original spellings of the poems.