How does Eliot refute Johnson’s remark on the poets whom he classified as metaphysical? 

Answer

How does Eliot refute Johnson’s remark on the poets whom he classified as metaphysical? 

T.S. Eliot’s (1888-1965) essay “The Metaphysical Poets” (1921) talks about how poets like John Donne and Andrew Marvell wrote poetry. Their poetry is full of deep thoughts and feelings. However, Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-84) criticized them. He says they joined very different ideas in a forced way. Eliot strongly disagrees with Johnson. He defends these poets. He shows that their unique style is actually what makes their poetry special. Let us look at points that explain how Eliot answers Johnson’s criticism.

Metaphysical Poets’ Style: Eliot first explains that the Metaphysical poets used surprising and complex comparisons in their poems. This is not a bad thing. This is a special intellectual power. He says, 

“A thought to Donne was an experience.” 

This means that thoughts and feelings were deeply connected for poets like Donne. Their poetry showed this connection through unusual but meaningful images.

Joining Thought and Feeling: Johnson criticized the Metaphysical poets for combining different ideas in a forced way. But Eliot says they were actually very good at mixing thought and feeling in their poems. He explains that their poetry had a, 

“Fidelity to thought and feeling.” 

This means that they stayed true to both their thoughts and emotions. This makes their work deep, rich and powerful.

Examples from Metaphysical Poetry: Eliot gives examples from the poems to show that their style worked well. In Donne’s poem A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, he compares two lovers to a pair of compasses. Donne says,

“If they be two, they are two so

   As stiff twin compasses are two;

Thy soul, the fixed foot, makes no show

   To move, but doth, if the other do.”

Johnson might have thought this comparison was forged and strange, but Eliot says it beautifully shows how love and Geometry can connect. This example helps us see how these poets mixed different ideas in creative ways.

Criticize of Johnson’s Own Poetry: Eliot points out that even Johnson, who criticized these poets, did the same thing in his own poetry. He quotes from Johnson’s poem “The Vanity of Human Wishes”. Eliot says, 

“The effect is due to a contrast of ideas, different in degree but the same in principle.” 

This shows that Johnson also joined different ideas in his poetry. He proved his criticism was unfair.

The Importance of Complex Connections: Eliot says that the Metaphysical poets’ have the ability to show complex connections between ideas. This makes their poetry interesting and full of meaning. He calls it the 

“Telescoping of images and multiplied associations.” 

This means they used several images and ideas together. This makes the reader think deeply to understand the poem.

Everlasting Value of Metaphysical Poetry: Eliot says that the Metaphysical poets’ style is not outdated or irrelevant. He believes that the Metaphysical poets’ style is still valuable today. He says, 

“Poets in our civilization, as it exists at present, must be difficult.” 

This means that poetry should also be complex in a complex world, just like the work of the Metaphysical poets.

In his essay, Eliot disagrees with Johnson’s remark by showing that the Metaphysical poets did not force ideas together. Instead, they skillfully connected deep thoughts and feelings in a way that made their poetry rich and meaningful. Eliot’s defence helps us understand why these poets are still important and worth reading today.