The 17th century in Europe was a dark and conflicted time. Long-lasting and violent wars; antagonism between Protestants and Catholics; and new revolutions in science, mathematics and philosophy provoked social changes and anxieties that had a strong effect on the artistic and literary movements of the day. The Baroque movement in the visual arts, architecture and music and British metaphysical poetry reflected these cultural tensions.
The Baroque movement in architecture, music and the visual arts sought to provoke a strong emotional reaction in the viewer through dramatic, extravagant and flamboyant depictions of both religious ideology and everyday life. The Baroque movement had its roots in the Catholic Church's Counter-Reformation movement, which aimed to counteract the austerity of Protestantism with a more sensual, aesthetic approach to religion, which would be accessible to a wider audience. Many artists of the Baroque period remain highly celebrated, including Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer in painting; Bernini in architecture; and J.S. Bach and Handell in music.
Metaphysical literature refers to the work of several 17th century British poets who reacted against the lofty poeticism of the 16th century by taking an objective, rational and often cynical approach to the poetic subject. This attitude is reflected in what literary theorists refer to as the "metaphysical conceit," or the poetic attempt to draw a connection between the physical and the transcendent, often with shocking results. The leading poets in this tradition are John Donne, Andrew Marvell, George Herbert, Edward Herbert and Robert Carew.
At first glance, the Baroque movement and metaphysical poetry stand in sharp contrast to each other. The Baroque movement was primarily Italian and German, while metaphysical poetry is a British phenomenon. Metaphysical poetry was often ironic and satirical, while the Baroque focused on drawing a sense of attachment, rather than distance from its audience. However, despite these differences, the two traditions are strongly linked. Both metaphysical poetry and the Baroque rely on a powerful emotional reaction from the reader to convey their message and move between religious and worldly subjects to heighten their dramatic effect. In addition, both movements strongly reacted against the idealistic humanism of the 16th century by portraying human nature and society as common and, at times, even vulgar.