Concepts of Harmony in Five Metaphysical Poets - Tomáš Jajtner

The present monograph Concepts of Harmony in Five Metaphysical Poets analyses the significance of Pythagorean cosmology for the understanding the world and man in the English Renaissance. The author perceives Pythagorean cosmology as a key concept for the arts in the Renaissance, especially music and poetry. A gradual wane in the belief of the concept of a universal cosmic harmony is markedly reflected in the work of the five major "metaphysical poets" under study: Donne, Herbert, Vaughan, Marvell and Crashaw. They struggle to keep the metaphorical potency of the Pythagorean concept while stressing the process of their language experiments.