What are the literary characteristics of John Donne poetry?
First of all, John Donne was considered a metaphysical poet. Ben Jonson was part of the “cavalier poetry” movement. Cavalier poets often called themselves “the sons of Ben (Jonson)” because he so inspired their writing. Basically, their styles of writing were on opposite sides of the fence. These descriptions are a little reductive, but should help you understand the major differences between the two styles. Metaphysical poetry is characterized by the use of wit and elaborate conceits (extended metaphors). For example, one of Donne’s “Holy Sonnets” uses a conceit in which the speaker is compared to a city under siege, and this carries throughout the poem. Because of these witty, sophisticated metaphors, the language of metaphysical poetry is often dense, complex, and may not be clear upon first reading. Many of the poets were influenced by neo-Platonism, which purports that there is an ideal world that exists somewhere beyond the physical, temporal world. Thus, this poetry often exhibi
