To His Coy Mistress free essay sample

Critical Commentary Andrew Marvell’s ‘To His Coy Mistress’ embodies the male craving for intercourse, as in the poem the narrator tries to convince a woman to have sex with him. The poem is abounded with metaphysical conceits and really depicts the theme of carpe diem. With the exploitation of numerous motifs, compelling imagery and its rhythm, Marvell is able to construct a very influential argument. Initially, Marvell uses the metaphysical conceit to compliment the woman as a means of persuasion for intercourse. In the first stanza, he claims that he has eternity to spend time courting and admiring his woman. Yet, already in the first line, the poet uses irony with the word ‘had’. This establishes that the lovers will not live eternally; implying that the speaker is aware of this before he begins his flattery. Also, the use of rhythm is becoming more apparent; maintained throughout are rhyming couplets and iambic pentameter, which gives the argument a structure, therefore making it seem more plausible to the woman. He is trying to imply that the winged chariot is there transportation in a sense to heaven. The idea of the speaker not receiving the girls love is not even a fathomable idea. The speaker pulls out all the stops and decides that life without them being together would be in tolerable when he states And yonder all before us lie, deserts of vast eternity. (Marvell 23). The idea behind this imagery to is to plea to his mistresss heartstrings by saying without his love in her life she would be lonely and her life would be full of emptiness. Marvell not only used imagery to help his case, but also decided metaphors would be another helpful tool to help pull in his coy mistress. The metaphors used in the poem prove to be a crucial resource in his journey to pull in the speakers love interest. The use of metaphors gives the women of the poem an opportunity to understand and comprehend the interest displayed by the speaker. The most creative in a sense of the bunch is when the speaker says And while thy willing soul transpires, at every pore with instant fire(Marvell 35-36). This comparison is presented the speakers sexual desires with the fire and describing how his soul and love is beginning to arise more and more in her body. In the poem the first appearance of a metaphor is on line 11 in which Marvell writes My vegetable love should grow. (Marvell 11). By saying this the speaker is trying to interlude the idea of the slow process of growing vegetables to signify that his love would not be wasted due to the fact all of his effort and focus would be given to loving her. The speaker is very aware of the limited amount of time they have together and does a solid job of presenting that idea to his Coy Mistress.The idea of the speaker not obtaining the women of the poems love, and commitment is unfathomable to the speaker. This though plagued the speaker to the point where he had to reassure the women that their life is passing by at a rapid pace and without each other it would be a miserable life. This idea comes to figuration when the speaker tells the women Thus, though we cannot make our sun stand still, yet we will make him run (Marvell 44-45). This idea of making the sun run is insisting they make their time together will move faster. This statement is perplexing in the sense he is insisting they chase the sun, but at the same time he wants to be with her and love her for a prolonged time as he proclaimed earlier in the poem. To really solidify the womens need for him, the speaker proclaims 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(Marvell 25-28). This statement set the tone for his conclusion of life for her without him in it. In To His Coy Mistress Andrew Marvell builds a very good and sound argument for why the women should join the speaker in companionship. The argument is adequate and poignant due to the simple fact that it addresses very common human insecurities by p roviding the women with a sense of uncertainty about her life without the speaker of the poem. To His Coy Mistress develops a sound argument for why his coy mistress should accept his plea for love. The poem is strategically filled with metaphors, and imagery to help his three-part argument, which include the argument, his prediction for their life together, and the conclusion of their life. The speaker employs a very intensified argument lobbying for why the women should accept the speakers love.