The Metaphysical Poets

This essay originally appeared as a review in the London Times Literary Supplement on October 20, 1921, focusing on the book Metaphysical Lyrics and Poems of the Seventeenth Century . T.S. Eliot explores three key questions in this essay: the nature of the metaphysical poets as a school or movement, their divergence from the mainstream poetry of their time, and the relevance of studying these poets in the modern age. The essay can be summarized under the following headings: 1) Definition of Metaphysical Poetry According to Eliot, defining metaphysical poetry is a challenging task. It becomes particularly difficult when attempting to determine which poets practiced it and in which of their poems. Herbert, Vaughan, Crashaw, Cowley, and Donne are often classified as metaphysical poets. However, there is no consistent employment of metaphors, similes, or other conceits that is universally shared among these poets. Donne and Cowley, in particular, utilize a device that is often considered char…