Literary Analysis of a Poem to His Coy Mistress

Introduction

The poem 'To His Coy Mistress' was written by Andrew Marvell during the mid 17th century and was not published as the content of the poem was considered as taboo and unfavorable to the puritan, who were in power during that time. It portrays the approach of a young lover who is eager to lure his mistress into bed. The main concept of this poem is lust, and that the time is short.

Thesis Statement

To analyze the themes of the poem, yet the approach of the poet on the subject deals with lust rather than true love.

Purpose of the Poem

The main concept of the poem is "love" but, it focuses more on lust. The speaker, Andrew Marvell himself possibly, wants to lure the woman in an act of love and portrays that the time is very short. However, the woman appears to be resistant. The poet has also used different poetic elements throughout the poem.

Discussion and Analysis

Marvell belonged to the 17th century era which was a time of unrest in the majority of the England. The urgency of not wasting time and the indication that the time will be lost if not used portrays the unrest of the era Marvell lived.

Element of Poetry

In the poem 'To His Coy Mistress,' Marvell has made the divisions of the whole poem into three stanzas. Each stanza of the poem portrays certain elements. The poem appears to be spoken by a man who is nameless, to a woman who is also nameless and without any details (Bolton, 1982, pp. 56).

Fantasy and Flattery about the Woman

The first stanza deals with the speaker's fantasy and flattery about the woman. He explains to his mistress that if they had more time her coyness will not be a crime. He further indulges in flattering his mistress, and telling her that if there was more time he will describe the quantity of admiration he has for her. He explains that he will continue to keep pestering her from “ten years before the flood”, until “the conversion of the Jews”. This is a metaphor as everyone knows that it is near to impossible that the Jews will ever convert. This would be extremely flattering to the women. The entire first stanza seems a bit exaggerated and unrealistic as the speaker seems to be in his own fantasy world. The second part illustrates that the ...