What is metaphysical poetry?

[deepachan]

I have to research abt meta physical poetry and i dont know where to search can anyone help me? I started to learn literature abt a month back.

Of what i have understood so far metaphysical poets describe love and God in a metaphorical manner, like in Herbert's poem The Collar he uses this-
"Sure there was wine
Before my sigh did dry it; there was corn"
He refers to the Last Supper, in a metaphorical way.
In Canonization by John Donne he wants his love to last by his poem, he wants future generation to look up to their love by this poem.

Is there more than metaphors in metaphysical poetry?

Can anyone help me understand what this is?

Yours Deepa

[quasimodo1]

To Deepachan: Meta is just a prefix from Greek then Latin roots which means about. Thus metadata is meaning data about the data. Metaphysical kind of follows this concept but has acquired a connotational spin. Now it means not so much about the physical but matters or concepts beyond and way above the usual rules of the physical (or physics). quasimodo1

[deepachan]

so they have used figures which usually doesn't happen by laws of physics?

[quasimodo1]

To Deepachan: Should have clarified this a bit. It's a bit more than just writing about subject that transcend physics. It wants to be almost mystical, i.e. above normal towards paranormal, tends to concern itself with things usually byond normal human understanding. Some works that are called "metaphysical" may not be and other are that don't intend to be. If this doesn't get it for you, I will make a more comprehensive statement with examples. quasimodo1

[JBI]

I always thought of it as sort of trying to encourage thoughts rather than emotions.

[quasimodo1]

Yes, I would say that tends to be true, mostly. quasimodo1

[deepachan]

thank u m8 i got it likes ropes of sand???

[manolia]

Μετά (Meta) in greek means "after". In compound words "meta" has the meaning of "above" and indicates change or that something is different than something else or different than it used to be.

[AuntShecky]

This is the general term for seventeenth century English
poetry; the most notable poet in that group is John Donne.
Read some of his works and you'll get the idea.
It's true that metaphysical means "above the physical," so the subject of the poem is very often spirituality, but not
always! Donne's love poetry is earthy , more "physical" than "meta."
You could also use definition from the twentieth century poet and critic T. S. Eliot. He wasn't a great fan of the genre, but his description of the FORM of metaphysical poetry is apt:
"Disparate objects linked by violence together."