|
More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
|
metaphysical poets
|
|
An imprecise term applied to *Donne, *Herbert, *Marvell and others of the 17C who shared a love of intellectual ingenuity, literary allusion and paradox, and who used language, images and rhythms of a kind not conventionally 'poetic' to startle the reader into thought; they were criticized in their own time for taking 'metaphysics' as their subject. They acquired a high reputation in the 20C after winning T.S. *Eliot as both champion and disciple.
|
|
|
|