Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" presents a skillfully crafted plea for sexual union with the speaker's addressee. The argument put forth is subtle and logical, relying on finesse in the manipulation of reason, form, and imagery. The use of classical philosophical logic, characterized by a statement and counter-statement followed by a resolution, is familiar to educated readers of Renaissance England. Marvell's speaker employs this method in his argument and incorporates classical imagery to further support his points.
Exploring the poem in three distinct sections, I aim to grasp the argument put forth. The poem itself features indented lines to mark each of these parts. In the first section (lines 1-20), the speaker presents their proposition that they would not hasten their process of courting and admiration if only they had boundless time and s
...pace. Through the use of the subjunctive tense created with the word 'had,' the speaker establishes a limitless world. Ironically, however, the passage is largely theoretical as the speaker is aware of the impracticality of their claims and deceptively presents their argument.
In his speech, the speaker's intention is to not only flatter, but also to impress the mistress through vivid imagery. He aims to compliment and amaze her with his knowledge of geography by referencing the River Humber and the Ganges River (ll. -7), illustrating the distance he would endure without her if time allowed. The exotic imagery of Asia aligns with British exploration and trade in the area, providing a break from the mundane life in England at the time, even if unrealistic. Once space is addressed, the speaker moves on to tackle time, using biblical references to emphasize the
perpetual nature of reality. By utilizing the Old Testament's description of the great flood that cleansed the earth as a starting point and then depicting Armageddon's occurrence at the conversion of the Jews as an endpoint, Marvell's speaker seeks to showcase humanity's vastness of predicted existence.
Simultaneously, he hints slyly at the poem's second, more nihilistic section. The imagery is fascinating for two reasons. Firstly, it unconsciously implies to the mistress that God has already ended physical human life and will do so again, providing a backdrop for the speaker's argument that life is fleeting, so one should not delay procreation in favor of ethics. Secondly, the image may serve as Marvell's Puritanical condemnation of the speaker's behavior, implying that the speaker may be punished for indulging in hedonism.
In discussing his "vegetable love" (l. 11), the speaker presents an image with many potential interpretations. One possible interpretation is its sexual connotation, as the vegetable symbolizes a phallic image that sets the stage for the speaker's proposals. Alternatively, as suggested by The Norton Anthology of Poetry, the vegetable can also symbolize a slow, unconscious development of love, highlighting the depth and sincerity of the speaker's emotions as they expand "vaster than empires" (l. 12). However, despite this irony, the speaker recognizes that time is scarce, causing his love to grow quickly, consciously, and even forcefully.
As the first section concludes, the speaker allots years of devotion to each part of the mistress's body. The duration spent admiring the breasts, which denotes sexual motivation, exceeds that of the eyes, typically associated with true love. The hyperbolic statements grow increasingly unrealistic until they become incomprehensible, assigning an unattainable 'age to
every part' (l. 17). Despite being aware of the lack of substance in his words, the speaker remains generous in his admiration. In the subsequent section (lines 21-32), he transitions from hypothetical to real situations but maintains the melodramatic language from before to emphasize his points.
In contrast to the previous section where the speaker had control over time, the current section depicts time as pursuing the speaker. This concept is illustrated through the imagery of a ‘winged chariot’ (line 22), which holds classical connotations with Greek mythology. This aligns with the speaker's argumentative style. Additionally, the poem's meter is consistently regular, emphasizing the notion that time always moves forward, corroborating the speaker's stance.
Instead of the lively images of movement and life described earlier, space is now described as possessing "Deserts of vast eternity" (ll. 23-4), which strongly suggests a connection to death. The speaker further develops this theme in a gruesome manner throughout this section. The speaker implies that if the mistress remains coy, the only ones who will explore her body will be the worms decomposing it, as stated in lines 26-7. The idea that her sexuality should not be wasted is emphasized with a crude pun made in line 29, where "quaint honor turn to dust" is a play on the Middle English noun queynte, meaning female genitals according to the Norton Anthology of Poetry's footnote. These images connecting sexual deterioration with deterioration over time are meant to shock the mistress into making the most of her youth and not wasting it.
The speaker's sarcastic and sly tone is evident in lines 31-2, where he quips, "The grave's a fine and private
place, / But none, I think, do there embrace." This use of irony is enjoyable due to the speaker's insincerity and exaggeration as he attempts to charm the mistress. The purpose of this section is to present a contrasting view to the first section, creating a sense of disharmony within the poem. While the first section portrays an endless opportunity for the speaker to win over the mistress, the second section portrays life as fleeting and unpredictable.
The purpose of the tension in the text is to evoke discomfort and unease in the young single woman, leading her to alter her approach to courtship. The resolution proposed by the speaker implies sexual union, which can be anticipated due to the suggestive tone and imaginative language used throughout the poem. The text is replete with vivid imagery and phrases related to physicality, motion, and violence, including "transpires" (l.).
The speaker showcases his masculinity through vivid imagery such as 'like amorous birds of prey' (l. 38) and 'devour' (l. 39) to enhance his offer and emphasize his sexual prowess. His carpe diem mentality is exhibited as he enthusiastically suggests that together embodied in a ball, they can 'tear our pleasure with rough strife / Through the iron gates of life' (ll. 3-4).
The final lines of the poem reiterate the theme of conquering life through unity, as expressed through classical imagery. Even though the speaker cannot physically halt the sun, they believe that together they can make it seem as though they do. The mistress is convinced that submitting to her pursuer will reverse the effects of time, placing her and the speaker in a position of power.
After embarking on
a hypothetical journey, then presenting a morbid reality, the speaker concludes with the act of copulation as a means of exerting mastery over time. Despite potential flaws in his reasoning, readers still appreciate the speaker's elaborately crafted speech in pursuit of his mistress.
Word count: 1398
Bibliography: Primary Text: Andrew Marvell, To His Coy Mistress, pp. 478-9, The Norton Anthology of Poetry (W.
Published in 2004, the 5th edition of the book was released by W. Norton & Company.
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