Hello Friends,
The term metaphysical poets was coined by the critic Samuel Johnson to describe a loose group of 17th century English poets whose work was characterised by the inventive use of conceits, and by a greater emphasis on the spoken rather than lyrical quality of their verse. 
In the poem "To his coy mistress" by Andrew Marvell in which the poet shows the importance of time in our life in a very typical manner, by telling his beloved to accept his proposal. In this poem, the poet tells that the time of our life is very short and this very serious issue is told to us in a very light manner by including the beloved in the poem mingled with sensuality. 
This blog is my response to task assigned to us by Professor Dr.Dilip Barad Sir to reflect our ideas on metaphysical poetry and to explain some poems in brief.
In the chapter on Abraham Cowley in his "Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets", Samuel Johnson refers to the beginning of the 17th century in which there "appeared a race of writers that may be termed the metaphysical poets."
Johnson's assessment of 'metaphysical poetry' was not at all flattering:
"The metaphysical poets were men of learning, and, to show their learning was their whole endeavor; but, unluckily resolving to show it in rhyme, instead, of writing poetry, they only wrote verses, and, very often, such verses as stood the trial of the fingers better than of the ear; for the modulation was so imperfect, that they were only found to be verses by counting the syllables... The most heterogeneous ideas are yoked by violence together; nature and art are ransacked for illustrations, comparisons, and allusions; their learning instructs, and their subtilty surprises; but the reader commonly thinks his improvement dearly bought, and, though he sometimes admires, is seldom pleased."
Colin Burrow includes John Donne, George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, Andrew Marvell, and Richard Crashaw as central figures of metaphysical poets.
Helen Gardner explains:
"Argument and persuasion, and the use of the conceit as their instrument, are the elements or body of a metaphysical poem. Its quintessence or soul is the vivid imagining of a moment of experience or of a situation out of which the need to argue, or persuade, or define arises. Metaphysical poetry is famous for its abrupt, personal openings in which a man speaks to his mistress, or address his God, or sets a scene, or calls us to mark this or see that."
Metaphysical poetry is self consciously difficult, demanding intellectual effort on the part of the reader. Dr.Johnson wanted to criticise the poetry of Donne and his followers by using the term "metaphysical poets" but as the years passed, the same term went on to be regarded as a term of praise for their poetry.
Metaphysical poets tried to do something different in their poems. They tried to change the way of writing and today we see that they are quite successful in their endeavors. They followed the saying "Change is the spice of life."
In the poem "Death be not proud" by John Donne, In these poem the poet is telling to death that he is not afraid of death. Death can be personified as a human who is resting peacefully. Many great men are there who died early like John Keats, Lord Byron, etc. Death is just a sleep after which one awakes eternally. So after death there is new life. Infact death is new beginning of life. So death symbolises end of one life but it also marks the beginning of new life. So end itself is beginning of something new and nobody should be afraid of death.
In the poem "The Rising Sun" by John Donne, the poet tells the sun and indirectly also to all those who interrupt between the two lovers. He tells the sun to not to disturb them every morning by sun rays which peep into their bedroom. The tells the sun to go and command the school going boys, workers and employees. The tells the sun that the sun is not even half happy as he and his beloved are. The poet tells that all spices, all great things in the world, kings and princes, poet finds in his beloved. For the poet, his beloved is everything probably because she is the only one who loves the poet most and more than anybody else. In the end the tone of the poet changes, the poet now tells the sun to keep his beloved at the centre and give all its warmth and light on them, on their bed as centre and the four walls are the sphere. So in this poem, the poet gives the utmost importance to his beloved for her love gives the poet lots of peace, joy and happiness.
In the poem "The Flea" by John Donne, the poet uses the biological example of a very small tiny insect the flea to convince her beloved to accept his proposal of love. In this poem, the poet explains that this small insect flea has sucked the blood of his, his beloved and so the blood of two have become one and it has not caused any loss to his beloved nor has she lost her maiden hood. Infact by sucking their blood, the insect has become more healthy and has swelled. So at this his beloved is more angry and kills the flea and poet tells her by doing that she has killed three lives. Why should a small insect be killed for just sucking a negligible amount of blood? The poet tells his beloved that by accepting his proposal she will not lose her honour but infact she will be more honoured. The poet tells her that all her and her family's fears are wrong and explains her with this example of the flea that they will be more happy if she accepts his proposal.
In the poem "The Collar" by George Herbert, the poet tells to serve God and forget all materialistic pleasures. In the poem, the sinner or man is in conflict with himself about what is right and wrong? What is good and bad? After having lived a life full of materialistic pleasures, still there is no peace, no happiness, there is some restlessness. The man is not at peace and so the poet asks us to turn to God, the Almighty. In doing good deeds there is peace. To serve the needy is to serve God. The poet tells us to move towards God and in God only there is eternal bliss and peace of soul. In the end when the sinner hears someone calling him "Child" and at this the sinner gives a reply "My Lord". In the end the sinner leaves all materialistic pleasures which are temporary and turns to God to find eternal joy.
Work Cited:
1. "Metaphysical Poets." - Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 30 June 2003, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphysical_poets. Accessed 10 Dec. 2020.
1168 words.