Lives of the Metaphysical Poets

“The metaphysical poets were men of learning, and to shew their learning was their whole endeavour; but, unluckily resolving to shew it in rhyme, instead of writing poetry they only wrote verses, and very often such verses as stood the trial of the finger better than of the ear; for the modulation was so imperfect that they were only found to be verses by counting the syllables” – Samuel Johnson (1709-1784).

We who speak – without ambition  
of elegance – only to be understood 
Say: 
Dissect a sun-beam with a prism 
Still you cannot show the wide 
Effulgence of a summer noon