Samuel Johnson, writer of the "Dictionary of the English Language" and other influential English and literature works, coined the term "metaphysical poet." In a work critiquing major poets entitled "Lives of the Poets" and written in 1781, Johnson referred to wit in this kind of poetry as "a combination of dissimilar images or discovery of occult resemblances in things apparently unlike." This wit was embodied in conceits or metaphors that astound the reader due to the unorthodox comparison of certain objects to one another and blended intellect to the senses. Choosing dissimilar images to compare to one another in similes and metaphors was a notable trait in metaphysical poetry. These techniques exemplified creative figures of speech and turns of phrase. In using these devices, metaphysical poets employed dynamic imagery.
An article titled "The Dynamic Image in Metaphysical Poetry" published in the "PMLA" journal in 1942 highlighted how prominent this characteristic is within the genre. Most of the images are used as a clear function to demonstrate mental processes through physical action. The metaphysical becomes physical via concrete pictures that the poet depicts. The dynamic image in this poetry does not emphasize the external traits but looks to highlight the similarity of actions.
Through the use of imagery, themes and topics of science, medicine, anatomy and math are displayed vividly in conjunction with topics of love and death. In the poem "A Valediction of the Book" published in 1611, John Donne, considered by many as the master of metaphysical poetry and conceit, used latitude, longitude and the solar system to ask his audience about how love can be measured. Additionally, these poets also alluded to Neoplatonic ideas about the soul and the body and questions about love and divinity. Metaphysical poets embraced Plato's idea because they agreed that the physical world is only a flawed copy of the divine, and therefore, the poet can only imitate a copy, making poetry far removed from the truth.
Donne illustrated a number of sensuous images. Within his poem, "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," he evoked the image of lovers who are leaving one another and the consequences of being absent from each other. Within the poem are four primary images, one of those being that of the compass, for which he is most famous. He also employed images of earthquakes, floods, storms, leaves, gold and the soul's departure from the body. Such images were not only dynamic, but they also fused the physical and the sensuous with the spiritual.