Question

Identify the writers who are referred to as 'metaphysical poets':

• A. John Donne
• B. Andrew Marvell
• C. Philip Larkin
• D. T. S. Eliot

Hint:

Metaphysical poets = 17th century. Think of Donne, Marvell, Herbert, Vaughan. Eliot praised them, but he isn't one.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A, B

Step 1: Define metaphysical poets.
The term "metaphysical poets" was popularized by Samuel Johnson to describe 17th-century English poets who used complex conceits, intellectual wit, and philosophical reflections. Their poetry often explores love, religion, and morality through paradoxes and unusual imagery.

Step 2: Identify them in the options. \begin{itemize} \item John Donne (1572–1631): Called the "founder of metaphysical poetry." His poems like The Flea and A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning use intricate conceits and spiritualized love. \item Andrew Marvell (1621–1678): His poems like To His Coy Mistress display metaphysical wit and imagery. \item Philip Larkin (1922–1985): A 20th-century Movement poet, not metaphysical. \item T. S. Eliot (1888–1965): A modernist poet who admired metaphysical poets and even revived interest in them but was not himself categorized as one. \end{itemize} \[ \boxed{\text{Correct Answer: (A) and (B)}} \]