The tradition of the great English metaphysical poets, Donne, Herbert and Marvell, is still alive and kicking today according to poet and philosopher Alan Murray.
He will be giving an evening talk entitled From Donne to Donaghy next Friday, January 15, at St Michael’s Church Hall in St Michael’s Street, St Albans,
The event, sponsored by Ver Poets, is open to anyone who would like to read a metaphysical poem, take part in a discussion or have a go at writing a similar poem themselves.
The original metaphysicals wrote in the seventeenth century on big subjects like love and religion – and used intricate arguments from philosophy and the latest scientific discoveries to support their themes.
They fell out of favour in the eighteenth century when the writer John Dryden complained that Donne “affects the metaphysics not only in his satires but in his amorous verses, where nature only should reign; and he perplexes the minds of the fair sex with nice speculations of philosophy when he should engage their hearts!”
But T S Eliot and other leading twentieth century writers championed the metaphysicals for their wit and wide-ranging intelligence.
Ver Poets press officer Simon Bowden says:”Nowadays we recognise that John Donne is one of the great love poets and he has modern followers like Michael Donaghy. Alan Murray is an excellent poet in his own right and an expert in this field.”
The evening gets underway at 8pm and entry costs £4 including refreshments.
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