Be prepared to read your assigned poem to the class (practice first!) and 
make a few intelligent comments about the poem.

You are to read ALL of the poems.  In your journal you should comment on the poem assigned to you and at least 3 others.

Metaphysical Poetry

Metaphysics: the branch of philosophy that systematically investigates the nature of first principles and the problems of ultimate reality: it includes the study of being (ontology) and the study of the structure of the universe (cosmology).

Chief characteristics of Metaphysical poetry:

Startling rhythm and diction
Variety of tone
Poets speak in their own persona or create dramatically different characters: self-dramatization more than self-expression, internal dramatic conflict
Meter and stanzas are used to enact emotion -- emphasis on action, tension, conflict
Use of argumentation, logic, dialectical expression
Original and startling metaphors and similes, often extended into
metaphysical conceits
Content is often religious
Sensuousness, directness, immediacy

See extended definition in Harmon and Holman's Handbook to Literature, pp. 316-18

Metaphysical Poets from Luminarium

Cavalier Poetry

Cavalier: courtly, off-hand, loyal to the monarchy

Chief characteristics of Cavalier poetry:

Graceful, melodious, polished diction and meter
Elegant display of Latin classical influences
Sometimes licentious and cynical, often epigrammatic and witty:
carpe diem a frequent theme
Persona often in guise of military swashbuckler or aristocratic courtier
Poems are often occasional -- i.e. written for a particular occasion

See extended definition in Harmon and Holman's Handbook to Literature, p. 83.

Cavalier Poets from Luminarium