Comparison of Marvell's To his coy mistres and Donne's Anniverasry
To his coy mistress... This poem was written in seventeenth century and includes some words, which changed their usage and meaning during 300 years. So first of all I would like to explain what words 'coy' and 'mistress' meant in the period of Metaphysical poetry. When somebody was coy, especially the woman, it meant that she was very shy, reserved and she did not behave in a flirting way. It related in particular in a realm of love or sex. The word 'mistress' is very closely connected with this because a mistress was a woman who had a sexual relationship with usually married man but he was not her husband.
After first reading of this poem you may think that the argument is simple - a man encourages his mistress to be not too shy and be more glowing. It is something like love or ticklish utterance to her, a small appeal for her. But this would be very unsophisticated for Andrew Marvell, a Metaphysical poet. Through the whole poem passes a motive 'carpe diem'. It is a Latin locustion from the verses of Quintus Horatius Flaccus, a Roman poet and satirists who lived in antiquity. Carpe diem means 'seize the day'.
We could divide this song into 3 parts. The first one begins with the first line and finishes by the twentieth. In this part speaker blandishes to his woman, he entices her and he says her how much he loves her. Already in this part Marvell refers to the problem of time. In the first two lines "Had we but world enough, and time, this coyness lady, were no crime" he intimates her that if the time would be never-ending and so they have a plenty of time, her demureness would be on the place. But everybody knows...
More Poetry
essays:
Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress”:
... Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress” is a lyric poem, couched entirely in the form of an argument, in which the male speaker tries to persuade his reluctant mistress to accept his proposal of physical love. This ...
Metaphysical poetry and the Concept of 'Carpe Diem'- Donne's "To His Mistress Going to Bed" and Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress"
... in To His Mistress Going to Bed, so Marvells To His Coy Mistress celebrates the metaphysical belief of Carpe diem or grasping the day. Both poets see man as ... mechanism to persuade her to yield up to him her virginity. In the seventeenth century, we ...
The role of Difficulty in John Donne's Love poems.
... the seventeenth century. The double meaning of the line, with 'sucked' evoking the sexual nature of the 'pleasures,' whilst at the same time literally meaning being wet nursed as a child, makes it hard to grasp ...
A Comparison Of "The Charge Of The Light Brigade" by Alfred Tennyson and "Disabled" by Wilfred Owen.
... s poem, was the charge of British cavalry into the "Valley of Death" held by Russian troops in November 1854. The Crimean War was launched to dispel the last pockets of resistance within the nineteenth century British ...
John Donne's "The Good Morrow".
... 16th century values of a hierarchy were still in place, and that love has relieved him from this naivety. Donne also includes sexual puns throughout the poem, which would have been considered indecent, showing his will to stand ... the first line implies that perhaps his life before meeting his lover ...
The phrase "Carpe Diem" in the two poems "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time," by Robert Herrick, and "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell.
... of "carpe diem" were predominant in seventeenth century poetry, and this can be seen in the two poems, "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time," by Robert Herrick and "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell. Robert ...
Words on "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell, about intertwining symbols with carpe diem
... this carpe diem poem, 'To His Coy Mistress' by Andrew Marvell, exemplifies the seize the day theme. The cyclical, life symbolizing river, the water flowing by like time, is the first place Marvell places ...
"To His Coy Mistress" - Andrew Marvell. An analysis of Andrew MArvell's poem.
... Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" uses the finest characteristics of metaphysical poetry in order to portray his thoughts and feelings through the poem. He successfully presents the constraints of time, and more importantly the urgency of a traditional carpe diem ...