"To His Coy Mistress" is a poem written by Andrew Marvell in the 17th century that explores the theme of seduction. While the poem is often read as a classic example of male desire and entitlement, a feminist analysis can reveal deeper themes of agency, power dynamics, and gender roles.
The speaker in the poem is a man trying to persuade his mistress to sleep with him, using a variety of flattery and appeals to her vanity. He tells her that if they had "all eternity" to spend together, he would "love thee ten years before the flood," but since they do not have forever, he urges her to "seize the day" and enjoy their youth and beauty while they can. This argument is based on a patriarchal view of time, in which the man is the active subject and the woman is the object of his desire, waiting passively for him to act.
However, a feminist reading of the poem can also highlight the ways in which the mistress resists this male gaze and asserts her own agency. Despite the speaker's attempts to flatter and seduce her, she remains coy and withholding, refusing to give in to his demands. This resistance can be seen as a form of agency, as the mistress is able to choose whether or not to succumb to the speaker's advances.
Additionally, the mistress's refusal to give in to the speaker's desires challenges traditional gender roles and expectations. In a patriarchal society, women were often expected to be submissive and obedient to men, but the mistress in this poem refuses to conform to these expectations. Instead, she maintains her own autonomy and agency, refusing to be simply a passive object of the speaker's desire.
Overall, a feminist analysis of "To His Coy Mistress" reveals deeper themes of power dynamics, agency, and gender roles. While the speaker may try to assert his control and male entitlement, the mistress's resistance and refusal to conform to traditional gender roles offers a counterpoint to this patriarchal narrative.
Critical Analysis Of Andrew Marvell's To His Coy Mistress
What scholarly, activist, personal, political, or other concerns motivated the turn toward time for you? Throughout the whole poem, the speaker shows to women to be desirable first and then disgusting, but in the end it is the female body itself that becomes to him a repulsive symbol of the death and decay to which all eventually descend. The speaker utilizes visual imagery to convey his tone and intention by using point of view in an attempt to demonstrate his love and in a voice that is as urgent as it is both compelling and sensual, to lure his mistress to carnal delights. Instead of pushing equality for men and being passionate about the subject, she maintains a distant relationship with the topic at hand; she does not want her writings to seem offensive or intense. This work shows a challenge to the usual tradition and notion of gender inequality. He tells her he will spend thirty thousand years adoring her body, because he feels that she deserves that type of affection. The modern world makes any person strong and self-possessed to cope with all challenges.
CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE In her essay "Andrew Marvell's 'To His Coy Mistress': A Feminist Reading,"...
This poem is a kind of warning to all women against cajolery that is used by men to bed women. The future isn't that bright - her beauty will be lost in the sands of time - even worse, when she's dead and buried only the worms will experience what he presently longs for. He was already seducing her with words, now he is seducing her with fear. This curtain, which he draws, implies that he is overprotective of his last Duchess. The Marble Vault is a part of her body, the female genital. Gender studies and queer theory see this controversial text Women 's Unequal Portrayal, And The Struggle For Identity Of Female Writers that followed him, hugely affecting Western literature.
Structuralist And Feminist Perspective Of Andrew Marvell’s “to His Coy Mistress” : [Essay Example], 2010 words GradesFixer
Lines 21 - 32 But all of the previous means nothing because the reality is that the clock is ticking louder and louder. While the topic itself seems simple in nature, the relationship in question, as well as the poem itself, is quite complex. Women were often treated as objects of display, eye candy if you will, …show more content… D. Instead of demanding that John Adams include the rights of women when drafting new laws, she quietly pleads him to have mercy upon the women by incorporating rights for them inside of his new decrees. The speaker is also using flattery in hopes of persuading her to give in to his request.
Free Essay: Feminist Response to "To my coy Mistress"
He would focus on each part of the body till he got to the heart. It seems as if the speaker sees love as unimportant, instead he is only interested in having a sexual relationship with her. Is it selfish of him to put his own desire for sex above the problems it could create for her? Which elements, if any, are negative? Rape, acid attacks, and harassment done to women are an outcome of such an uncontrolled rush of hormones. I tend to agree with the first poster, that this is simply a love poem by a man who desires to be with the woman he loves. In your exam you will be expected to make comparisons between the different poems and this lesson will help you to make the connections you need to do this. However, a feminist would argue that it is a woman's right and responsibility to control her own sexuality.
