Metaphysical Poets Trivia Quiz

Answer: Roman Catholic, Anglican

Though born into a Roman Catholic family, he later converted. It was King James who encouraged John Donne to take Anglican orders, and the minister was eventually appointed Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral.

Answer: He eloped with Egerton's niece

His elopement to Anne Moor occurred in 1601. Not only did it result in his being fired, but he was even put in prison for a time. His marriage, however, was apparently a happy one.

Answer: George Herbert

Vaughan admits this in the preface to his collection of religious poems entitled the "Silex Scintillans." He goes so far as to refer to Herbert as "the blessed man."

Answer: John Dryden

Dryden was what is called a neo-classical poet, though he actually was among the first to apply the term "metaphysical" to Donne and his ilk. The adjective was not meant to be a compliment.

Answer: conceits

A conceit is an extended metaphor or simile, such as Donne's comparison of the two lovers as two points of a compass in "A Valediction: Forbidding Morning."

Answer: Thomas Carew

Carew, like Donne, was also fired from a political post. His crime was to insult his employer, Sir Dudley Carleton.

Answer: The Good-Morrow

This poem is part of a section entitled the "Songs and Sonnets", which doesn't actually include any sonnets in the traditional sense (i.e. 14 line poems written in iambic pentameter). However, Donne did write many traditional sonnets in his "Holy Sonnets."

Answer: Phoenix

The riddle of the Phoenix is simply the question of how the legendary bird can manage to die and then rise again from its own ashes. But Donne sees that this myth makes sense in light of the fact that they "die and rise the same." This is a sexual pun; to "die" was euphemistic for having an orgasm.

Answer: All of these

In "The Apparition", he threatens that, if she scorns him, he will die and then haunt her. In "To His Mistress" he tries to induce her by stripping naked himself: "To teach thee, I am naked first; why then / What need'st thou have more covering than a man?" In "The Flea", his basic line of argument is that since the flea has already drunk blood from both of them, they're basically joined anyway--so hey, why not? Her response is to kill the flea and then say that the two of them are none the weaker for it (so they couldn't have really been joined with the flea). Donne then forges a counter attack, saying, "'Tis true; then learn how false fears be: / Just so much honor, when thou yield'st to me, / Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee."

Answer: concrete poetry

Concrete poetry is poetry that, when it is written out on the page, takes a particular shape. The metaphysical poet George Herbert used this kind of poetry. His "The Altar" is shaped like an altar, his "Easter Wings" like a pair of wings.

Answer: Death

This is probably Donne's most famous sonnet (number 10). He admonishes Death not to be proud because God has vanquished Death and men will awake to eternity: "And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die."

Answer: Andrew Marvell

Although John Donne wrote many "carpe diem" poems (i.e. poems encouraging women to "seize the day" by having sex with the speaker), perhaps the most famous one is this poem by Marvell.

Answer: The Bait

Both poems begin, "Come live with me and be my love." Sir Walter Raleigh also wrote a poem in response to Marlowe's.

Answer: Jordan (I)

Herbert also wrote a second "Jordan" poem with a similar theme. In it, he described his struggle to write a well-crafted, beautiful poem, only to conclude, "How wide is all this long pretence! / There is in love a sweetnesse readie penn'd / Copie out only that, and save expense."

Answer: A Nocturnal Upon Saint Lucy's Day

St. Lucy's Day, or December 13, is the shortest day of the year. In the poem, Donne refers to himself, after his loss, as follows: "For I am every dead thing / In whom love wrought new alchemy." His course as a lover is now run, "nor," he says, "will my sun renew." And so he encourages the other young lovers to "Enjoy your summer all."

Answer: George Herbert's

Herbert's mother, who raised ten children after her husband's death, was a patron to Donne.

Answer: George Herbert

Herbert had the opportunity to succeed in the political world, but he chose instead to serve as a country rector. He was very dedicated to the care of his parishioners.

Answer: My Lord

In this poem, Herbert confesses his infantile rebellion against the strictures of God. He describes himself almost as one throwing a temper tantrum: "I struck the board, and cry'd, No more." He bemoans the time he lost enjoying the sweet savor of sin and thinks he should embark on those pleasures now, but at length he hears the gentle voice of God calling him His child, and that is all Herbert needs to be reminded of his helplessness." I love this poem, as you may have guessed.

Answer: rest

In a clever play on words, Herbert has God say: "Yet let him keep the rest / But keep them with repining restlessness." Man is allowed all of the blessings accept for rest, because if "goodness" will not lead man to God, "yet wearinesse / May toss him to my breast." It is this weariness--this lack of rest--that serves as the pulley drawing man to God.

Answer: Henry Vaughan

The poem is called "The True Christmas", and it shows us that modern day objections to the sometimes worldly means of celebrating Christmas are hardly new.

Answer: sister-in-law

Vaughan married his wife's sister Elizabeth.

Answer: Cromwell

Marvell was an assistant to John Milton, who was the Latin Secretary in Cromwell's Commonwealth.

Answer: An Emblem

An emblem is defined as: "an allegorical picture, often inscribed with a motto supplemental to the visual image with which it forms a single unit of meaning." (from www.infoplease.com)

Answer: George Herbert's

It was called, "On Mr. G. Herbert's Book" and was addressed to a woman to whom Crashaw sent a copy of Herbert's "The Temple."

Answer: The Mount of Olives

This comes from his poem "The Mount of Olives", which is where Christ delivered one of his famous sermons. Calvary and Golgotha are two names for the same place, the hill where Christ was crucified. Mount Sinai is where Moses received the Ten Commandments.