Welcome to Metaphysical Poetry!
Name: ______Date: ______
Lesson Objectives:
· Explore key idea of mortality
· Analyse metaphysical conceits
· Interpret ideas in paradoxes.
Important Terms
· Metaphysical Conceit: A metaphor or simile in which the comparison is unusually striking, original, and elaborate. While all metaphors and similes show likeness in two unlike things, a conceit may at first seem to have no connection whatsoever.
· Paradox: a statement that seems to contradict itself but reveals some element of truth
Reading Assignment:
Johne Donne --Selected Poetry p. 310-314.
Complete the following assignment as assigned. Answer all questions in complete sentences. You are welcome to discuss the poems and questions with one another. But remember, you are responsible for your own work and your own words. This assignment is worth 35 points and is due on Thursday.
Key idea: Death is not something we only face at the end of our lives. It influences us when we lose loved ones or even when we contemplate our own mortality. John Donne, who experienced the early death of his wife and some of his children, struggled to understand the meaning of death. His thoughts about mortality inspired him to write some of his greatest works.
1. How has the knowledge of death affected your life? Has it made you more cautious or more fearful? Does it influence your relationship with others? Does it make you appreciate life's pleasures? As you attempt to answer these questions, record three ways in which the knowledge of death influences you.
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2. Read poems on pp. 510-514.
3. What important church rituals does Donne describe in "Meditation 17"?
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4. In "Meditation 17" what event does the tolling bell announce?
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5. From the same poem, why does Donne feel that the tolling bell calls more to him than to other people?
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6. Indentify one paradox from one of the Donne's poems. Record the poem title as well as the paradox. Also, explain how the paradox contributes to the theme of the poem. For example, in "Holy Sonnet 10" the idea that Death cannot kill people is a paradox supporting the theme that people do not die but instead go on to eternal life.
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7. Explain the meaning of the conceits (what's being compared) in the following passages:
"A Valediction: Forbidden Morning, lines 1-6"
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"Meditation 17," lines 8-13
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