To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell

Context

• To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell was written in the 17th century, during the English Renaissance, a period marked by a flourishing of arts and literature.

• The poem reflects the carpe diem theme popular in Renaissance literature, emphasizing the fleeting nature of time and the importance of seizing the day.

  

• Marvell was a metaphysical poet, known for his witty, intellectual verse that often featured elaborate metaphors and philosophical themes.

Structure and Form

Form, Meter, and Rhyme

• The poem is written in rhyming couplets, using iambic tetrameter.
• The consistent AABB rhyme scheme reinforces the logical progression of the speaker's argument.
• The iambic tetrameter creates a rhythmic and persuasive flow, aiding the speaker's attempt to convince his mistress.

Speaker and Setting

• The speaker is a man addressing his reluctant lover, urging her to seize the moment and consummate their love.
• The setting is abstract and philosophical, moving from imagined, idyllic scenes to the grim reality of mortality and then to the urgency of the present.

Poetic Devices

• Conceit**:** The poem employs a central conceit comparing life to a fleeting moment, urging immediate action before time runs out.

• Allusion**:** Marvell alludes to various biblical and classical events to emphasize the grand scale of his argument, such as the biblical Flood and the conversion of the Jews.

• Hyperbole**:** The speaker exaggerates the amount of time he would spend adoring his mistress if they had all eternity, enhancing the urgency of his plea.

• Imagery**:** Vivid imagery contrasts the lush, idealized scenes of eternal courtship with the stark, decaying images of death and the grave.

• Metaphor**:** Time is personified as a "wingèd chariot" hurrying near, emphasizing its relentless pursuit.

• Alliteration and Assonance: These sound devices enhance the poem's musical quality and reinforce its persuasive rhythm.

• Simile**:** The speaker compares his mistress's youth and beauty to morning dew, delicate and transient.

Key Themes

Carpe Diem (Seize the Day)

"Had we but world enough and time, / This coyness, lady, were no crime."

• The speaker argues that if they had endless time, his mistress's reluctance would be acceptable, but since they do not, they must act now.

The Transience of Life and Beauty

"Thy beauty shall no more be found; / Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound."

• The poem emphasizes the fleeting nature of youth and beauty, urging the mistress to enjoy life's pleasures before they fade.

Love and Desire

"Let us roll all our strength and all / Our sweetness up into one ball."

• The speaker presents a passionate and physical view of love, suggesting that they combine their energies to make the most of their time together.

Similar Poems

• "The Flea" by John Donne: Another metaphysical poem that uses wit and persuasive argument to address themes of love and seduction.

Line by Line Analysis

Lines 1-4

Had we but world enough and time,

This coyness, lady, were no crime.

We would sit down, and think which way

To walk, and pass our long love's day.

"Had we but world enough and time,"

• The speaker begins with a hypothetical scenario, suggesting that if they had unlimited time, his mistress's reluctance wouldn't be an issue.
• This sets up the carpe diem argument, emphasizing the scarcity of time.

"This coyness, lady, were no crime."

• The speaker addresses the mistress's modesty and hesitation, suggesting that it would be acceptable if time were infinite.
• The use of "coyness" highlights the speaker's view of her behaviour as playful yet obstructive.

"We would sit down, and think which way"

• The speaker imagines a leisurely life where they have time to deliberate on how to spend their days.
• This reflects an idealized and unhurried existence.

"To walk, and pass our long love's day."

• The imagery of walking and passing the day suggests a slow and deliberate enjoyment of life and love.
• This line reinforces the fantasy of endless time.

Lines 5-10

Thou by the Indian Ganges' side

Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide

Of Humber would complain. I would

Love you ten years before the Flood,

And you should, if you please, refuse

Till the conversion of the Jews.

"Thou by the Indian Ganges' side"

• The Ganges River, far from England, symbolizes exotic and distant places.
• This highlights the extent of the speaker's idealized devotion.

"Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide"

• Finding rubies suggests wealth and value, contrasting with the speaker's mundane setting by the Humber River.
• This juxtaposition emphasizes the speaker's devotion regardless of their location.

"Of Humber would complain. I would"

• The Humber River, near the speaker's home, symbolizes his reality and potential dissatisfaction.
• The contrast between exotic and mundane settings underscores the depth of his love.

"Love you ten years before the Flood,"

• The reference to the biblical Flood suggests an ancient and timeless love.
• This hyperbole emphasizes the speaker's willingness to love her for eternity.

"And you should, if you please, refuse"

• The speaker allows the mistress to refuse his advances indefinitely in this ideal scenario.
• This highlights the unrealistic nature of the hypothetical situation.

"Till the conversion of the Jews."

• The conversion of the Jews, expected at the end of time, further emphasizes the hyperbolic extent of his patience.
• This adds a layer of religious allusion and the impossibility of the scenario.

Lines 11-20

My vegetable love should grow

Vaster than empires and more slow;

An hundred years should go to praise

Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;

Two hundred to adore each breast,

But thirty thousand to the rest;

An age at least to every part,

And the last age should show your heart.

For, lady, you deserve this state,

Nor would I love at lower rate.

"My vegetable love should grow"

• The metaphor of "vegetable love" suggests a natural, slow-growing affection.
• This contrasts with the urgency of the carpe diem theme, highlighting the idealized nature of eternal love.

"Vaster than empires and more slow;"

• The comparison to empires suggests grandiosity and expansiveness.
• The slow growth reinforces the idea of timeless love.

"An hundred years should go to praise

Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;"

• The speaker uses hyperbole to emphasize the length of time he would spend admiring his mistress.
• This exaggeration underscores the impracticality of their situation.

"Two hundred to adore each breast,

But thirty thousand to the rest;"

• The exaggerated timeframes continue, emphasizing the speaker's endless admiration.
• This hyperbole serves to highlight the urgency of acting now, as such time is not available.

"An age at least to every part,

And the last age should show your heart."

• The speaker suggests that each part of the mistress deserves extensive praise.
• The final revelation of her heart symbolizes true understanding and emotional connection.

"For, lady, you deserve this state,

Nor would I love at lower rate."

• The speaker insists that his mistress deserves such devotion.
• This reinforces the idea that their love should not be constrained by time.

Lines 21-32

But at my back I always hear

Time's wingèd chariot hurrying near;

And yonder all before us lie

Deserts of vast eternity.

Thy beauty shall no more be found;

Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound

My echoing song; then worms shall try

That long-preserved virginity,

And your quaint honour turn to dust,

And into ashes all my lust;

The grave's a fine and private place,

But none, I think, do there embrace.

"But at my back I always hear

Time's wingèd chariot hurrying near;"

• The metaphor of time as a "wingèd chariot" suggests its swift and relentless passage.
• This creates a sense of urgency and inevitability.

"And yonder all before us lie

Deserts of vast eternity."

• The image of "deserts of vast eternity" conveys a bleak and desolate future.
• This emphasizes the contrast between the potential joy of the present and the emptiness of the future.

"Thy beauty shall no more be found; Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound"

• The speaker warns that the mistress's beauty will fade, and she will not be remembered in the grave.
• This underscores the transient nature of life and beauty.

"My echoing song; then worms shall try

That long-preserved virginity,"

• The grotesque image of worms taking her virginity highlights the futility of preserving it for the grave.
• This serves to shock the mistress into realizing the importance of seizing the present.

"And your quaint honour turn to dust,

And into ashes all my lust;"

• The speaker emphasizes that both honour and desire will ultimately decay.
• This reinforces the carpe diem theme by contrasting the potential pleasures of life with the inevitable decay of death.

_"_The grave's a fine and private place,

But none, I think, do there embrace."

• The final couplet of this section highlights the solitary nature of death.
• This underscores the urgency of embracing life and love before it is too late.

Lines 33-46

Now therefore, while the youthful hue

Sits on thy skin like morning dew,

And while thy willing soul transpires

At every pore with instant fires,

Now let us sport us while we may,

And now, like amorous birds of prey,

Rather at once our time devour

Than languish in his slow-chapped power.

Let us roll all our strength and all

Our sweetness up into one ball,

And tear our pleasures with rough strife

Through the iron gates of life:

Thus, though we cannot make our sun

Stand still, yet we will make him run.

"Now therefore, while the youthful hue

Sits on thy skin like morning dew,"

• The comparison of youthful beauty to morning dew suggests its fleeting nature.
• This imagery emphasizes the need to seize the present moment.

"And while thy willing soul transpires

At every pore with instant fires,"

• The speaker describes the mistress's vibrant and passionate nature.
• This highlights the urgency of acting on their desires while they are still alive.

"Now let us sport us while we may,

And now, like amorous birds of prey,"

• The speaker urges immediate action, comparing their passion to predatory birds.
• This simile emphasizes the intensity and urgency of their love.

_"_Rather at once our time devour

Than languish in his slow-chapped power."

• The speaker suggests that they should consume their time actively rather than be consumed by it.
• This reinforces the carpe diem theme, emphasizing action over inaction.

"Let us roll all our strength and all

Our sweetness up into one ball,"

• The speaker imagines combining their energies into a unified force.
• This metaphor suggests the intensity and unity of their potential love.

"And tear our pleasures with rough strife

Through the iron gates of life:"

• The image of tearing pleasures through "iron gates" suggests overcoming obstacles to achieve joy.
• This line reinforces the idea of seizing pleasure despite life's challenges.

_"_Thus, though we cannot make our sun

Stand still, yet we will make him run."

• The final couplet acknowledges the inevitability of time but suggests they can make the most of it.
• This reinforces the poem's central argument: to live fully in the present.