"To His Coy Mistress" is a poem written by Andrew Marvell in the seventeenth century. It is a seduction poem, in which the speaker, who is male, attempts to persuade his female lover to engage in sexual activity with him. Through the use of various literary devices and techniques, Marvell conveys the speaker's argument and attempts to sway his mistress's decision.
One of the most prominent literary devices used in the poem is the use of the carpe diem, or "seize the day," theme. The speaker urges his mistress to take advantage of their youth and beauty, as time is fleeting and they may not have the opportunity to experience pleasure in the future. He says, "Had we but world enough, and time, / This coyness, lady, were no crime." In other words, if they had all the time in the world, it would not be inappropriate for them to be coy and hesitant. However, because time is limited, the speaker implores his mistress to embrace the present moment and enjoy the pleasures that life has to offer.
Another notable technique used in the poem is the use of imagery and metaphors. The speaker compares his mistress's chastity to a "veil" that "hides" her beauty and youth, and urges her to "unlock" herself and reveal her true self. He also uses the metaphor of the "grave" to convey the finality of death and the importance of living in the present. The speaker says, "The grave's a fine and private place, / But none, I think, do there embrace." This metaphor serves to emphasize the limited nature of human life and the urgency of seizing the moment.
In addition to these literary devices, the speaker also employs rhetorical questions and appeals to emotion in order to persuade his mistress. He asks her, "Why should we wait for future, when / We are so sure of present?" and "How long will you defer and hesitate?" These questions aim to create a sense of urgency and encourage the mistress to take action. The speaker also appeals to his mistress's emotions by expressing his own desire and the pleasure that they would both experience.
Overall, Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" is a skilled and persuasive argument for the importance of seizing the moment and embracing pleasure. Through the use of various literary techniques and devices, the speaker presents a compelling case for his mistress to give in to his advances.
Literary Analysis Of Andrew Marvell's To His Coy Mistress
In these first lines, there are ten couplets, and mimics a traditional format — in this case, the poem itself, although written in the form of a love poem, does not aspire to such lofty heights; the gentleman wishes only for his lady to give in to his sexual advances, and so the use of the traditional love The man begins by explaining, to his lady, how he would go about worshipping her if he had the time. Marvell contrasts a wild fantasy of infinite time against startling images of worm-eaten corpses. So, when we get the opportunity, we should use it. He felt that metaphysical poets developed unnecessarily elaborate conceits and unsolvable paradoxes. Fusce dui lectus, congue vel laoreet ac, dictum vitae odio. Time here is portrayed as chasing the speaker as opposed to being something the speaker is in control of as in the end of the last section.
Analysis Of 'To His Coy Mistress'
Lines 33-46 Now therefore, while the youthful hue Sits on thy skin like morning dew, And while thy willing soul transpires At every pore with instant fires, Now let us sport us while we may, And now, like amorous birds of prey, Rather at once our time devour Than languish in his slow-chapped power. For Lady you deserve this state; Nor would I love at lower rate. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam lacinia pulvinar tortor nec facilisis. On the other hand, the speaker would sit on bank of river Humber complaining to the river about her beloved not coming to him. Metaphysical poetry is highly philosophical and full of strange metaphors.
To His Coy Mistress: Analysis of the Speaker
For this, the researcher has used close-text analysis technique. Metaphor A metaphor is an indirect or implied comparison between two things where there is a point of similarity. The speaker and the mistress are in confinement because they cannot face the reality of how powerless they are in terms of time and space. The only time he and the mistress have to use is now and that why he says that they should devour it because in future, it will be of no use. The insinuation here is that, these lovers or any other lovers for that matter have no enough time in the world to keep on post phoning time to have sex. The impatient desire for sex, and saying anything to fulfill that desire. There is the theme of time, sex, mortality, freedom, and confinement.
