English Lit: Background Information to every poem

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  • Created by: geeky96
  • Created on: 12-05-15 09:33

The Flea information:

  • An attempt to seduce a woman whom refusd to be sexual with him.
  • A "colorie poem" (wasn't supposd to be published, only intended to read it to his friends.
  • Uses selacious humour: letters "s" and "I" are interchangeable, making the poem very rude in places.
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Holy XIV information:

  • A sonnet
  • Written after the death of his wife, Mary.
  • His brother was hanged when he was 20 for being a Catholic.
  • At his time, Donne was an Anglican (Church of Engand) Priest.
  • The pom uses juxaposition, paradox and anphors.
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Elegy **: To His Mistress Going To Bed

  • Explores the Neopletonic idea of love being a union of the souls.
  • Ironises th conventions of Petarchan love story: the speaker is often heartbroken and unsuccessful in love.
  • Contains many ****** images and referencs to sex.
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The Triple Fool information:

  • Is philosophical  and medidating.
  • Is about sadness and feelings.
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The Canonization information:

  • First published in 1633.
  • Canonization is a Catholic term for becoming a saint.
  • The poem is addressed from one friend to another, but concerns itself with complexions of romantic love.
  • The speaker presents love as being more important than anything else.
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Love's Alchemy information:

  • Uses alchemy, believed to have creatd the myhica "philosopher's stone", as a metaphor for the unstable and deceptive nature of love.
  • The stone was believed to do two things: turn even base metal to silver/gold and to bring immortality and youth upon its user immediately. 
  • The better educated citizens didn't believe it existed as it was a trick by con artists (so they thought).
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Th Relic information:

  • Relic comes from Latin "reliquia" meaning 'something lft behind'.
  • In religion, a reic is a part of a body of a saint or renerated person.
  • During the Reformation, many churches were burnt and onastories were burnt, meaning a large amount of relics were lost- Donne suggests he might replace them.
  • During his time Relics, like alchemy, were tricks thieves could use to trick others.
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The Good Morrow information:

  • Uses the metaphor of a new day- or "morrow" for how his life has changed since falling in love.
  • References several key Reinasissence: religion alchemy, Nou- Platnism, new geeorgraphical discoveries and geomotris.
  • Refernce to agapic love- the Catholic concept of God's lvo for mankind being constant and unbreakable.
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Twickenham Garden information:

  • Written in 1608 for Lucy, Countess of Bedford, who was a wealthy patron of the arts who paid any poes to write love poems to and for her.
  • She wished to be portrayed as a cold and calculating mistrss, insentive to her lover's worries, going against the sterotypes of of woman as either: weak and passive, and perfectly beautiful yet attainable.
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Comments

englitstudent

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has some inaccurate information eg his wife's name

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