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Critical Appreciation of To His Coy Mistress' - Andrew Marvell

The poem "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell focuses on a lover persuading his mistress to engage in a physical relationship. He argues that they should seize the moment because time is fleeting and will destroy their youth and ability to love. It is a carpe diem poem that also comments on the power of time over human mortality. The poem uses various metaphysical and rhetorical devices to make its case, such as hyperbole, blazon, and enjambment.

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Subham Sahu
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5K views

Critical Appreciation of To His Coy Mistress' - Andrew Marvell

The poem "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell focuses on a lover persuading his mistress to engage in a physical relationship. He argues that they should seize the moment because time is fleeting and will destroy their youth and ability to love. It is a carpe diem poem that also comments on the power of time over human mortality. The poem uses various metaphysical and rhetorical devices to make its case, such as hyperbole, blazon, and enjambment.

Uploaded by

Subham Sahu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Critical Appreciation of ‘To his Coy

Mistress’
- Andrew Marvell

Introduction- Andrew Marvell wrote this poem in middle of 1650s


which was later published after 1680 posthumously. This poem
focuses on two perspectives of persuasion of beloved for making
love and supreme power of time against morality of human being.

Central Idea- This poem is centralized on morality of human being


and supremacy of time. Considering this fact a lover is persuading
his beloved to establish physical relationship with him and stop
her shyness as time is limited and moving fast. It is the stage of
youth in which both power and willingness allow them to have
physical love making. After youth old age will turn them fruitless
and powerless. They won't be able to satisfy their desire of
physical relationship after youth is passed.

Themes
a. Physical Love- Establishment of physical love between a
lover and his beloved is the main superficial theme of the
poem. Lover not only woos but also persuades the beloved
to establish sexual relationship with him.
b. Mortality of human being and supremacy of time- Human is
mortal and time is the most powerful thing. It destroys
everything. Physical love is also subjected to time also. The
lover fears of this aspect of human life. Time will destroy the
youth and beauty of his and his beloved and they won't able
to make love after this phase of life passes away.
©OurGuruji
Figure of Speech
a. Alliteration- 'Long love', has alliteration as there is repetition
of consonant /L/.
b. Consonance - 'thirty thousand' has consonance as after
consonant /th/ there is change of vowel in both words.
c. Hyperbole- Hyperbole is rampant in the poem. The following
lines show it-
"I would
Love you ten years before the flood,
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews."
d. Metaphor- 'Deserts of vast eternity' is used for Old age.
e. Simile- Both of the lovers are compared to birds of prey who
are often involved into love making.
E.g. "Now let us sport us while we may, And now, like
amorous birds of prey,"
f. Understatement- There is a beautiful use of understatement
in line 'The grave’s a fine and private place'. It is a device
which is opposite to Hyperbole and it undermines or lessens
effect of something.
g. Enjambment- There is rampant use of enjambment in the
poem. It is a device which is used to continue the sentence
in the next line.
"We would sit down, and think which way
To walk, and pass our long love’s day".
h. Blazon - An hundred years should go to praise
Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
Two hundred to adore each breast,
But thirty thousand to the rest
These lines show usage of the device 'blazon'. Blazon is used
to describe or praise various parts of a woman or lady.

©OurGuruji
Advocacy of youth and pleasure- Poet through the poem has
advocated using the phase of youth. Youth is state of power and
capability. It is that state in which a person can achieve various
things through his power and it's the only state in which physical
and sensual pleasures can be enjoyed. Through the incessant
approach of the lover towards his beloved for making love this
attitude of the poet is quite visible.

A Carpe Diem poem- This poem has element of carpe diem like
poetry of Horace. Carpe Diem means 'seize the day'. In this poem
lover urges his beloved to have physical relationship with him
without making any delay. They have to use this appropriate time
and stage of life for love making. Later on time will overcome
them as 'Time's winged chariot hurrying near' and they won't be
able to enjoy beauty and love during old age.

Metaphysical Poem- The poem is a brilliant example of


metaphysical poem. It has various elements which are common in
a metaphysical poem such as - Hyperbole, Far-fetched conceits,
Uses of wits, unification of sensibility, Carpe diem etc.

Structure and Rhyme Scheme- This poem is a dramatic


monologue written in a single long stanza having iambic
tetrameter. Whole poem has rhyming couplets i.e AABBCC etc...

©OurGuruji

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