Dialectic View of the World and Life in Metaphysical Poetry

Metaphysical poets were a loose group of English 17 century poets united by their interest in metaphysical concerns, such as the essence of being, human nature, relationship between man and God. Their works were remarkable with the inventiveness of expressive means, such as colourful metaphors and similes. One more significant feature of metaphysical poets was the dialectical approach towards the mysteries of life and world. Dialectics is a method of argument based on a dialogue between two or more people who hold different views but want to come to agreement between one another. The aim of the dialectical method is resolution of the disagreement through rational discussion, and ultimately the search for truth. Dialectics was first applied in Plato’s ‘Republic’ – the work is constructed as a dialogue during which the ideas are generated and the answers for global questions arise as a result of this debate. Metaphysical poets were in essence neoplatonists, and they believed that all is in constant change, and everything is a result of inner strife and opposition. Therefore, the dialectical approach can be often observed in their works. In this essay, I will try to reveal the samples of dialectical thinking within the poems of two remarkable representatives of the Metaphysical school – John Donne and George Herbert. As my observations show, the poems by Donne and Herbert describe the process of searching for truth using the previously mentioned dialectical approach. …