Which author is identified as a Metaphysical poet?

Which author is identified as a Metaphysical poet?

• A. John Dryden
• B. Francis Bacon
• C. John Donne
• D. Moliere

Answer: (C)

Metaphysical poetry blends sharp intellect with intimate emotion, using inventive, surprising conceits that link the physical and the spiritual. John Donne embodies this approach. His love poems turn everyday images into philosophical arguments about connection and distance—think of how a compass is used to describe two lovers who remain united across space in a single conceit, or how a tiny flea is made to symbolize shared life and union in a battle of wits. His religious sonnets push bold, paradoxical ideas about death, salvation, and grace, all wrapped in striking, intellectual imagery. This mix of clever argument, startling metaphor, and the fusion of sacred and secular concerns is what identifies him with Metaphysical poetry. The other writers belong to different styles: Dryden is tied to Restoration-era classicism and polished heroic couplets; Bacon is best known as a philosopher and essayist rather than a poet of this movement; Moliere is a French playwright whose satirical comedies belong to a different tradition.

Metaphysical poetry blends sharp intellect with intimate emotion, using inventive, surprising conceits that link the physical and the spiritual. John Donne embodies this approach. His love poems turn everyday images into philosophical arguments about connection and distance—think of how a compass is used to describe two lovers who remain united across space in a single conceit, or how a tiny flea is made to symbolize shared life and union in a battle of wits. His religious sonnets push bold, paradoxical ideas about death, salvation, and grace, all wrapped in striking, intellectual imagery. This mix of clever argument, startling metaphor, and the fusion of sacred and secular concerns is what identifies him with Metaphysical poetry.

The other writers belong to different styles: Dryden is tied to Restoration-era classicism and polished heroic couplets; Bacon is best known as a philosopher and essayist rather than a poet of this movement; Moliere is a French playwright whose satirical comedies belong to a different tradition.