To his coy mistress’ and ‘In how do I love thee’ Essay Example
To his coy mistress’ and ‘In how do I love thee’ Essay Example

To his coy mistress’ and ‘In how do I love thee’ Essay Example

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These two poems show very different attitudes to love and relation ships. In the poem 'To his coy mistress' the poet is talking about his lust for her. 'In how do I love thee' the poet is talking about her love and emotion for him.

Section 1

I will firstly look at the poem by Marvell 'To his coy mistress' the mans attitude to love and relationships in this poem is that he is only interested in sex and he argues about why wait when they can get together strait away. Marvel try's to persuade her that his love is only for her.

At the beginning of the poem marvel explains to his love that he would take the time to sit down and discuss the relationship and how they feel about each other. He then goes on t

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o say that there wouldn't be any point in going through all that when they can grow as one strait away. He explains that he knows how she feels about him so he doesn't really feel any need to sit and talk about it all. The poem is set out as an argument in three parts to help persuade her.

Marvel praises her and describes how beautiful she is. This is to try and persuade her: 'Two hundred to adore each Brest' Marvel also uses images to make his argument more convincing: 'I would love you ten years before the flood and you should if you please refuse till the conversation of the Jews' This means he could wait forever but he argues that there isn't any point in waiting and that he doesn't have a lot of time. He tell

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her that his love will grow and grow: 'My vegetable love will grow' through the poem Marvel flatters, Mocks, and gives exaggerated praises to her. 'Thy beauty shall n more be found, nor in thy marble vault, shall sound my echoing song. Marvel is trying to express his love and explains to her how much he loves her

Throughout the play he uses more images: 'then worms shall try that long preserved virginity' he is trying to explain that there isn't any point in waiting till he gets old and that she should take advantage of what he is offering her, why she can.

He then goes on to talk and convince her that they shall both be satisfied together and set there love upon each other: 'like amorous birds of pray.

Section 2

Elisabeth Barrett Browning's poem presents a different aspect to love from the woman's point of view. In answer to her lovers question about the extent of her love she presents a different kind of argument from marvels.

Browning's uses imagery throughout this poem. She also uses opposites and contrasts to show the huge extent of her love for example she uses:

Religion and spirituality: 'I love thee with love I seemed to lose my lost saints'

Day and Night: 'I love thee to the level of every day's most quiet need, by sun and candlelight'

Child hood and simplicity: 'I love thee with passion put to use in my old griefs and with my childhood's faith.

Strength of feeling: 'I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight.

Browning's uses this sort of imagery to create a description of how strong

her love is. She uses big images and a creative idea to persuade her lover her love is real. These images show passion and purity to her argument in deep depths

Browning's uses the term 'I love thee' eight times this expresses how she feels and reminds her lover how she feels.

At the end of the poem it has a different impact to marvels. Browning's purifies the love by saying her love will be stronger after death. Marvel says that there can be no sex or love after death. These two poets obviously have totally different opinions on love and romance. Marvel believes you can't love someone when they are dead and Browning's believes that you can love someone forever.

Browning's view of Romance and the importance of love in this poem is very strong she uses descriptive words that are strong enough to win her argument. Browning's believes that her love will never end and she will love throughout life and after life.

Conclusion

Both poets feel very strongly about there love and their romance. Marvell emphasises that there can not be sex and love after death and Browning's believes the opposite. Although these poems were written in 17th and 19th centuries- two centuries apart they are still today.

The following sentences help me to reflect my view on whether I think these two poems accurately express men's and women's views about love and relationships in modern time

Sonnet: 'I love thee with breadth, smiles, tears, of all my life- and, if god choose, I shall but love thee better after death' this sentence gives a big impact on the poem and is a good ending this is because it

tells her lover no matter what happens she will always love him.

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