![]() ![]() Key characteristics of metaphysical poetry include: complicated mental and emotional experience unusual and sometimes deliberately contrived metaphors and similes and the idea that the physical and spiritual universes are connected. In many ways, what is now known as metaphysical poetry began with Donne and his innovative use of imagery, particularly his fondness for extended metaphors and elaborate conceits which draw on what were, at the time, new scientific theories and discoveries. ![]() John Donne (1572-1631) is one of the most important poets of the late Elizabethan and Jacobean periods in English literature. How should we view the poem? Or does it derive its vital energy from offering both the exploration motif and the complaint about women in one poem? Can we overlook the negative twist at the end? That may depend on our view of Donne’s other poems. Certainly such a reading connects to Donne’s preoccupation with space travel and exploration (something Empson, in his essay ‘Donne the Space-man’, explored the idea of discovery and exploration is also there in ‘ To His Mistress Going to Bed’, with its reference to the woman’s body as ‘my America! my new-found-land’). The earlier sections of the poem, enjoining the listener to go out into the world and make discoveries and see strange sights, is the real core of the poem’s meaning, in Carey’s analysis. William Empson, who was heavily influenced by Donne and wrote extensively on his poetry, said of ‘Go and catch a falling star’ that ‘the song had aimed at being gay and flippant but turned out rather heavy and cross’.Ĭonversely, for another great Donne critic, John Carey, ‘Go and catch a falling star’ is more about self-improvement than women, as we can see from that opening stanza: But Ricks’s issue with this poem in particular is not its misogyny (which loses its power to offend by being such a worn-out complaint) but the fact that the poem’s ending seems false to itself: it goes against what the rest of the poem promises. Find out more here.Christopher Ricks, in his Essays in Appreciation, has a good essay on what Ricks sees as the unhealthy endings to many of Donne’s poems: they seem to become uncharitable as they reach conclusion. Endowment opportunities at the Philharmonia offer supporters unique access and insights to our players. This Chair is currently available for endowment. Soong is grateful for being able to appreciate at close proximity so many wonderful sounds by skillful musicians in the Philharmonia. Soong’s other great love is food and he counts himself lucky to be able to indulge in many wonderful eateries around the world when the Orchestra goes on tour. The year 2000 was especially eventful with two world tours back to back and meeting his future wife. Soon after he started doing extra work with the Philharmonia, and joined the First Violin section in 2000. His first professional work was with the London Musici while studying. After attending the Purcell School he carried on studying at the Royal Academy of Music and Southampton University. Most of the time he really disliked practice, but as it was preferable to schoolwork, he persevered. Soong started to play the violin in the same year.
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