Critical analysis of To His Coy Mistress : To His Coy Mistress as a metaphysical poem


‘To His Coy Mistress’ is one of the two best love poems of Andrew Marvell, a Metaphysical poet. The poem is written in the form of the style of construction of a poem named ‘syllogism’ including three sections beginning with ‘if’, ‘but’ and ‘therefore’. In this poem, the speaker raises arguments with his beloved to be soft towards him and to relax her firm attitude of puritan reluctance to grant him sexual favors. Thus the theme of the poem is ‘carpe diem’, meaning ‘seize the opportunity’, the full Latin sentence of which is “Carpe diem, quam minimum credula poster”, that is, “Enjoy the present day, trusting the least possible to the future.”



Marvell, being a metaphysical poet, has applied in the poem a number of metaphysical conceits and mighty imagery. However, there is also a touch of wit and irony. Moreover the poem draws a high concentration from the reader and there is an epigrammatic quality. Now, let us analyze the poem in detail.



The poet begins the first section of the poem with an improbable, impossible condition,

                        “Had we but world enough, and time

                         This coyness lady were no crime”

That is, if they had enough space and time, the ‘coyness’ or sexual reluctance of his beloved would have no fault with him. Next he says that if they had enough space and time they would have enough time to ‘sit down’ ‘to walk’ and to pass their ‘long loves day’, the lady could find Rubies by the side of ‘Indian Ganges’ while the poet would complain of his unfulfilled love on the banks of the river ‘Humber’ in England; he would begin his love making ten years before the ancient ‘Flood’ occurring probably in the year 2354 B.C, and the refusal of the lady could be granted/endured ‘till the Conversion of the Jews’ when all the Jews would be converted into Christianity. That is the speaker / the lover could wait for a long time for the beloved till she would turn to him.



If they had enough time, he would spend ‘an hundred years’ to praise her eyes and to graze on her forehead; two hundred years to admire each of her breasts; and thirty thousand years to praise the remaining parts of her body. Actually, she, the lover says, deserves such praise and adoration.



But, the speaker says, all of the previous conditions are impossible because of the time’s very first pace. He says,

                        “At my back I always hear

                        Times winged chariot hurrying near;

                        And yonder all before us lye

                        Deserts of vast Eternity”



He further says that her beauty will decay soon; she, will lie in her tomb; and his “echoing, Song’ will not be heard any more. Even “worms shall try that long preserved Virginity”; her nice sense of honor will ‘turn to dust’ while his lust to make love will turn to ashes. Indeed none wants to embrace the Grave’s ‘fine and private place.’



‘Now therefore’, the speaker draws conclusion, it is the time for them to enjoy the full pleasures of love, when there is still time, when every part of her body ‘transpires’ ‘instant Fires’. The speaker invites the beloved to ‘sport’ ‘like am’rous birds of prey; - to extract the fullest intensity of sexual enjoyment – rather than to ‘Languish in his [times] slow- chapt power’.  



In this way, though they can not make the passage of time, stand still, they can at least, fasten its speed by enjoying as much of pleasure as possible.



If we consider the above discussion- we notice that the poet presents the poem in such a well–organized way that any lady can hardly deny his sexual proposal. The first section provides a condition and how the speaker would do ‘if’ the condition is fulfilled. ‘But’ the second section clearly expresses the reality opposing the first condition ‘Therefore’, the speaker, in the last section, eagerly seeks for an alternative to the impossible condition.



Another important thing for the poem is its secular theme, carpe diem as we mentioned earlier. The invitation of the speaker to the beloved ‘to sport’ ‘like am’rous birds of prey’ is no doubt a direct sexual implication having secular influence.



The role of time and fate in our life also takes a place in this poem ‘Times winged chariot hurrying near’ portrays time’s spades continuousness while “Worms shall try that long preserved Virginity” exposes the naked inevitableness in out life with an attack to the rigid ness of Puritanism and with a touch of sexual implication.



Striking imagery and metaphysical conceits are a common characteristic of Marvell as well as Metaphysical poetry. The beloved’s staying by the ‘Indian Ganges’ and the speaker’s by ‘Humber’ draw in our mind a vivid picture. He calls his slowly growing love to be ‘vegetable love’ and the speedy time to be ‘winged chariot hurrying near’. Here abstract ideas, as example of metaphysical conceit, are expressed through concrete images.



The poem is also marked by wit and irony. The speaker mocks at the ‘coyness’ of his beloved because she is in a position to refuse his love till the conversion of Jews into Christianity.



Many of the lines of the poem have an epigrammatic quality which requires a lot of concentration and explanation. One of such examples is –

                         The grave’s a fine and private place

                        But none I think do there embrace


Comments

  1. Thank you. This helped me for my exams a lot.

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