Metaphysical poetry usually attempts to discuss the abstract in concrete ways. Basically, it attempts to explain the unexplainable. That is why so many metaphysical poems focus squarely on things like love, religion, and God.
Another key characteristic of metaphysical poetry is their use of conceits. A conceit is an analogy, because it compares two things. However, a conceit is unlike a metaphor because a conceit is more strained. The comparison is not immediately obvious or simple. For example, Andrew Marvell wrote a poem in which he compares the soul to a drop of dew.
A third characteristic of metaphysical poetry is that they often contain large amounts of wit. Although the authors deal with serious topics, the poems are not without humor. Readers can often find various paradoxes and puns throughout the poems, which both function to lighten the overall mood of a metaphysical poem.
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