English Protestantism Poets

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that English Protestantism framed many events in the lives of John Donne and George Herbert, generating many of their most intense conflicts, as reflected in the religious themes of their poetry. The author points out that, although both men's poetry was metaphysical, Donne's poetry was enormously intellectual and intricate while Herbert's poetry was far simpler. The paper relates that both Herbert and Donne lived in an age of tremendous scientific discovery, particularly by Galileo and Kepler, which had tremendous impacts on religious institutions and thought. The paper includes several examples of their poetry.

From the Paper:

"The term "metaphysical" was coined in some disapprobation by John Dryden, but on the other hand T.S. Eliot argued that the poems of the metaphysical poets fused reason with passion. It is argued that Eliot was closer to the truth: after all, these were poets who lived in intellectually challenging times, as science for the first time posed a serious challenge to religion - and this in a society where religion was ubiquitous and largely unquestioned. No wonder they struggled with these issues, no wonder they were passionate about them, and no wonder the greatest poets of the times applied their considerable intellects to the crisis."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Barber, Katherine (ed). The Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1998.
• Bennett, Joan. Four Metaphysical Poets: Donne, Herbert, Vaughan, Crashaw. 2nd ed. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1953.
• Greenblat, Stephen and M.H. Abrams (eds). Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Sixteenth Century. The Early Seventeenth Century. Eighth Edition, Volume B. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2006.
• Rivers, Isabel. Classical and Christian Ideas in English Renaissance Poetry: A Student's Guide. New York: Routledge, 1994.

More papers on English Protestantism Poets:

• Analytical Essay # 130768 : "Donne and Herbert on English Protestantism"
• Poem Review # 111446 : "The English Romantic Poets"
• Analytical Essay # 17038 : "Hughes' "Theme for English B"

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