Metaphysical conceit

An elaborate comparison that links seemingly unlike subjects through sustained intellectual ingenuity, often developing across an entire poem.

A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning: John Donne’s poem comparing two lovers to the legs of a drawing compass. The compass comparison turns separation into a proof of enduring union.
Analogy: A comparison that explains or argues through perceived similarities between different things. A conceit develops analogy into a sustained structure of thought.
John Donne: An English poet and cleric whose poetry is known for dramatic speakers, wit, and intricate comparisons. Donne’s poems became the central examples of the metaphysical conceit.
Epic simile: An elaborate simile, often extending over several lines, used in epic poetry. It also expands a comparison, but typically pauses the narrative rather than building a compact argument.
The Flea: John Donne’s poem in which a speaker uses a flea’s bite to argue for sexual intimacy. Its tiny insect becomes an elaborate argument about desire, marriage, and honor.
Extended metaphor: A metaphor developed through multiple linked images or statements. Like an extended metaphor, a conceit maintains its comparison across several stages.
Metaphysical poets: A group of seventeenth-century English poets associated with intellectual complexity and inventive imagery. The conceit is a hallmark of the poetry later grouped under this name.
Conventional metaphor: A familiar metaphor whose association has become common through repeated use. A conceit stands out by making a comparison unusually intricate and unexpected.
The Sun Rising: John Donne’s poem addressing the sun as an intrusive presence in a lovers’ bedroom. The lovers’ room expands into a world ruled by their relationship.
Paradox: A statement or situation that appears self-contradictory yet may express a truth. Conceits often sharpen their arguments by joining ideas that initially seem incompatible.

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