Conceit in English Literature

Conceit is now one of the most important literary figures used properly by the different writers. Especially the meta-physical poets immensely use conceits in their writings. It is an elaborate, extended, and striking comparison between two dissimilar things. It is such kind of comparison whose ingenuity is more important than its justness. It surprises its readers by its intellectual quality. The love poets of the sixteenth century employed conceits in their sonnets. However, conceit was particularly associated by the Metaphysical poets of the seventeenth century. These poets derived the elements of comparison from all sources of knowledge including philosophy, science, geography, and religion. Conceit is a fanciful image especially elaborated or startled with analogy. It can be used for various purposes such as glorifying, satiring, describing, making parody, and so on. For example, we see the satirized manner of such conceits, Shelly rather made parody by saying “Mistress” eyes are nothing like the sun, Choral is far more red than her lips red. In John Donne’s and Andrew Marvell’s poems, there are full of intellectual conceits. This conceits are extended or starling or dramatic between objects which are apparently dissimilar

Metaphysical conceit is the conceit on subjects which exist beyond the physical world. In other words, it is a type of conceit which deals with abstract or philosophical subjects. But in reality, conceit which has the following features is called metaphysical conceit:
a) Physical love leading to spiritual union or religious devotion as theme.
b) Argumentative presentation of emotion.
c) An analysis of the most delicate shade of psychological experience.
d) A fusion of emotion and intellect which is also called the unification of sensibilities.

In John Donne’s “The Good Morrow”, the speaker asks:
“Where can we find two better hemispheres


Without Sharp North, without declining West?”
The idea is that the lovers together make one world, each being a hemisphere. But unlike the real hemispheres, the lovers’ have no limitation- their love has no decay and destruction. Thus, this is an example of Metaphysical conceit.