To My Mistress Sitting by a River's Side: An Eddy by Thomas Carew

Context

• To My Mistress Sitting by a River's Side: An Eddy by Thomas Carew was written during the early 17th century, a time when Cavalier's poetry was flourishing.

• The poem reflects the Cavalier poets' emphasis on carpe diem (seize the day) and the celebration of love, beauty, and nature.

• Carew, a courtier and contemporary of poets like Ben Jonson and John Donne, often wrote about love and desire with elegance and wit.

  

• The poem is situated within the broader tradition of English love poetry, combining classical influences with a sensuous appreciation of nature.

Structure and Form

Form, Meter, and Rhyme

• It follows a regular rhyming scheme of ABAB, typical of many lyric poems of the period.
• The poem is composed of one stanza, forming a single, continuous thought without division.
• The meter is an iambic tetrameter, with each line consisting of four iambic feet.
• This consistent structure contributes to the smooth and flowing rhythm, mirroring the gentle movement of the river.

Speaker and Setting

• The speaker appears to be a lover addressing his mistress, contemplating her beauty and the natural scene around them.
• The setting is by a riverside, a serene and private location, which allows for a reflective and intimate tone as the speaker draws parallels between the natural world and his emotions.

Poetic Devices

Simile:

• The poem prominently features similes, as the speaker compares his mistress to the natural elements, such as the river's eddy, highlighting her grace and the soft flow of her presence.
• "Sitting by a river's side, / Where a silent stream / Stole from the world, and softly slid / Into a gentle dream."

Imagery:

• Carew uses vivid natural imagery to create a serene and picturesque scene, enhancing the romantic and contemplative mood.
• The "silent stream" and "gentle dream" evoke a tranquil atmosphere, ideal for the lover's meditative thoughts.

Personification:

• Nature is personified to reflect the emotional state of the speaker. The river is depicted as stealing away from the world, mirroring the speaker's desire to escape into a private moment with his mistress.

Alliteration:

• Alliteration is used to create a musical quality within the lines, enhancing the poem's gentle and soothing tone.
• For example, in "stole from the world," the repetition of the 's' sound mimics the soft sound of water.

Key Themes

Love and Nature

• The poem intertwines the theme of love with the natural world, using the river as a metaphor for the flow of emotions and the constancy of affection.

"Where a silent stream / Stole from the world, and softly slid / Into a gentle dream."

• The peaceful setting reflects the idealised, tranquil love between the speaker and his mistress.

Contemplation and Reflection

• The poem explores themes of contemplation, with the speaker reflecting on the beauty of his mistress and the serenity of the surrounding nature.
• The river's gentle flow serves as a metaphor for the speaker's thoughts, moving smoothly and naturally.

Similar Poems

• "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell: Another Cavalier poem that explores themes of love and the passage of time, using persuasive rhetoric to argue for the seizing of the moment.
• "A Valediction of Weeping" by John Donne: This poem similarly blends themes of love with the natural world, employing metaphysical conceits to explore emotional states.
• "The Good Morrow" by John Donne: Like Carew's poem, this one reflects on the harmony between love and the natural world, using elaborate imagery to convey a sense of unity.

Line by Line Analysis

Lines 1-5

MARK, how yond eddy steals away From the rude stream into the bay ; There, lock'd up safe, she doth divorce Her waters from the channel's course, And scorns the torrent that did bring

"MARK, how yond eddy steals away / From the rude stream into the bay;"

• The speaker asks the reader to observe an eddy—a small whirlpool—as it detaches itself from the rough mainstream and moves into a calmer bay.
• The eddy represents a temporary escape from the turbulence of the mainstream, symbolising a moment of tranquillity or perhaps a person retreating from the chaotic flow of life.

"There, lock'd up safe, she doth divorce / Her waters from the channel's course,"

• The eddy, now separated from the mainstream, is described as "lock'd up safe," implying a sense of security and detachment.
• The word "divorce" suggests a deliberate separation from the main flow, indicating the eddy's desire to be free from the forces that once controlled it.
• This could symbolise a person seeking autonomy or independence from the pressures of life.

"And scorns the torrent that did bring"

• The eddy is portrayed as disdainful of the torrent that once propelled it.
• This could reflect a rejection of the force or circumstances that led to its current state, symbolising a rejection of past influences or a newfound sense of pride in its independence.

Lines 6-10

Her headlong from her native spring. Now doth she with her new love play, Whilst he runs murmuring away. Mark how she courts the banks, whilst they As amorously their arms display,

"Her headlong from her native spring. / Now doth she with her new love play,"

• The speaker continues the metaphor, indicating that the eddy was once part of a "native spring"—its original source—but now engages with a "new love," possibly the calm bay.
• This suggests a shift in loyalty or affection, representing a change in focus or attachment in the eddy's journey.

"Whilst he runs murmuring away. / Mark how she courts the banks, whilst they"

• The mainstream, personified as "he," continues its course, "murmuring" away, which could imply a sense of quiet discontent or resignation.
• Meanwhile, the eddy interacts playfully with the banks of the bay, symbolising a flirtatious or affectionate engagement with its new surroundings.

"As amorously their arms display,"

• The banks of the bay are depicted as responding to the eddy with open "arms," suggesting a mutual attraction or welcoming.
• The use of "amorously" highlights the tender and intimate nature of this interaction, reinforcing the metaphor of love or affection.

Lines 11-15

T' embrace, and clip her silver waves : See how she strokes their sides, and craves An entrance there, which they deny ; Whereat she frowns, threat'ning to fly Home to her stream, and 'gins to swim

"T' embrace, and clip her silver waves: / See how she strokes their sides, and craves"

• The eddy is now fully engaged in an intimate interaction with the banks, as it "embraces" and "strokes" them, indicating a deep connection and desire.
• The "silver waves" could symbolise purity or beauty, enhancing the romantic imagery.

"An entrance there, which they deny; / Whereat she frowns, threat'ning to fly"

• Despite the intimate interaction, the eddy is denied "entrance" by the banks.
• This refusal creates a moment of tension, where the eddy reacts by "frowning" and threatening to leave.
• This could symbolise the frustrations and challenges in a romantic pursuit, where not all desires are fulfilled.

"Home to her stream, and 'gins to swim"

• The eddy contemplates returning to its original course—the "stream"—implying a potential retreat to familiarity or past influences if its desires are not met.
• This reflects the tension between independence and the pull of former attachments.

Lines 16-20

Backward, but from the channel's brim Smiling returns into the creek, With thousand dimples on her cheek. Be thou this eddy, and I'll make My breast thy shore, where thou shalt take

"Backward, but from the channel's brim / Smiling returns into the creek,"

• Despite the initial threat to return, the eddy ultimately decides to stay, "smiling" as it re-enters the creek.
• This could symbolise reconciliation or acceptance, suggesting that the eddy has found satisfaction or contentment in its new situation.

"With thousand dimples on her cheek. / Be thou this eddy, and I'll make"

• The eddy's surface is described as having "dimples," which could represent joy or delight.
• The speaker then extends the metaphor to his mistress, asking her to be like the eddy, enjoying the pleasures of their intimate connection.

Lines 21-26

Secure repose, and never dream Of the quite forsaken stream ; Let him to the wide ocean haste, There lose his colour, name, and taste : Thou shalt save all, and, safe from him, Within these arms forever swim.

"My breast thy shore, where thou shalt take / Secure repose, and never dream"

• The speaker offers his breast as a safe "shore" for the mistress, promising her security and rest.
• This represents a deep commitment and desire to provide comfort and stability in their relationship.

"Of the quite forsaken stream; / Let him to the wide ocean haste,"

• The speaker urges the mistress to forget the "forsaken stream," likely symbolising past relationships or experiences, and let it hurry away to the "wide ocean," representing a vast and indifferent expanse where it loses significance.

"There lose his colour, name, and taste: / Thou shalt save all, and, safe from him,"

• The stream is depicted as losing its identity—its "colour, name, and taste"—in the ocean, becoming insignificant.
• The speaker contrasts this with the mistress, who will retain her essence and be protected ("safe") within his embrace.

"Within these arms forever swim."

• The poem concludes with the speaker's declaration that the mistress will remain with him, "forever swim" in the security and intimacy of his arms, suggesting an eternal and unbreakable bond.