The term 'metaphysical poets' primarily describes poets from which century?

The term 'metaphysical poets' primarily describes poets from which century?

• A. 17th century
• B. 16th century
• C. 18th century
• D. 19th century

Answer: (A)

Metaphysical poets describe a group of English writers whose work flourished in the seventeenth century, especially in the early to mid-1600s. Poets like John Donne and his contemporaries used witty, argumentative tones and striking, extended conceits to explore big ideas about love, life, and faith. The label itself was given later by Samuel Johnson, but the style and the writers are squarely tied to that century—the Jacobean and Caroline periods moving into the Civil War era. The other centuries don’t fit because the 16th century precedes this movement, while the 18th and 19th centuries belong to different literary eras (the Augustan and the Romantic periods, respectively) with distinct concerns and styles. So the best answer is the seventeenth century.

Metaphysical poets describe a group of English writers whose work flourished in the seventeenth century, especially in the early to mid-1600s. Poets like John Donne and his contemporaries used witty, argumentative tones and striking, extended conceits to explore big ideas about love, life, and faith. The label itself was given later by Samuel Johnson, but the style and the writers are squarely tied to that century—the Jacobean and Caroline periods moving into the Civil War era.

The other centuries don’t fit because the 16th century precedes this movement, while the 18th and 19th centuries belong to different literary eras (the Augustan and the Romantic periods, respectively) with distinct concerns and styles. So the best answer is the seventeenth century.