To His Coy Mistress summary and poem four levels
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About the Author Andrew Marvell
Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) was an English metaphysical poet
and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1659
and 1678. He was born in England, the son of a Church of England clergyman. The
family moved to Hull when his father was appointed Lecturer at Holy Trinity
Church. Marvell was educated at Hull Grammar School. At the age of 13, he
attended Trinity College, Cambridge, and eventually received his BA Degree. As
a metaphysical poet, he is associated with John Donne and George Herbert. He
was a colleague and friend of John Milton. Milton reports that Marvell has
mastered four languages including French, Italian, and Spanish.
Summary of the poem "To His Coy Mistress"
"To His Coy
Mistress" is a
love poem which has divided into three stanzas. It is written in iambic
tetrameter, and rhymes in couplets (AA, BB, CC, DD, and so on). There is a nameless
speaker in the poem. The nameless
speaker does not reveal any physical or biographical details. This nameless
speaker speaks to a nameless lady in the poem.
In the poem "To
His Coy Mistress", the speaker attempts to persuade his lover to have
sexual intercourse. But his lover resists the speaker’s proposal. So, the
speaker tells that if they had all the time in the world, he would not have any
problem with their slow moving relationship. He further says that they are mortal
and time is fleeting. Once they die, they won’t be able to unite again.
The poem seems to have dual purposes: first, to convince his mistress
to love each other, and second, to make people realize that human are mortal
and their life is short lived.
This poem is a metaphysical one since it integrates physical
and spiritual love. The speaker (lover) tries his best to indulge his beloved
in the sexual game. He even says that beauty, attraction, charm virginity,
power, and youth can't be fresh forever because when we enter into the grave or
die, all these things will be meaningless. Therefore, one has to have the
experience all these desires on time before it is too late.
Application Four Levels
Literal Comprehension of "To His Coy Mistress"
The speaker in the poem "To His Coy Mistress" says
that the mistress's coyness would be reasonable, logical, and rational if she
had enough time and if youth and beauty would be long-lasting. He even says
that if he had enough time, he would praise her each eye for one hundred years.
He would praise all her organs for more than 30 thousand. He says that life is
short and death is inevitable. He tricks everything to make his beloved into a
sexual game. On another hand, the beloved remains silent and coy. The speaker
tells her that they should enjoy life in youth or on time because there is
nothing after death.
Interpretation of "To His Coy Mistress"
In Marvell's time, the
movement of the sun around the earth is thought to create time. Anyway, he says
that we can't make time stop, but we can change places with it. If we have sex,
we pursue time instead of time pursuing ourselves. The lover tries his best to
involve his beloved in the sexual game. To convince her, he says life is brief,
time is powerful and death is inevitable. Youth and beauty once come in life
but could not be long-lasting. Everything is lost after one's death. Therefore,
he encourages her to fulfill every desire that they have on time, particularly
at the period of youth.
Critical Thinking of "To His Coy Mistress"
"To His Coy Mistress" is a romantic and emotional
expression of love. The speaker is addressing his mistress who is shy and not
frank enough to accept his proposal. He says that life as well as everything is
short. So, it is wise to utilize the present time properly and happily.
However, the speaker has some confusing ideas about sex and time. The poem
offers us a chance to explore some of those confusing thoughts. Why does the
speaker only talk about physical love? Is there true love between lover and
beloved? Why do they not poet give a place for a mistress to speak?
Assimilation of "To His Coy Mistress"
After reading this poem, I came to realize that life is short
and that death is inevitable. It teaches me that time is very important, once
gone, never returned. On the one hand, I have to do my usual work on time, on
the other hand, I should fulfill my desire, and interest and plan on time. It
is because nothing will be achieved after death. A happy life is always based
on the fulfillment of work and desire on time. The future is always uncertain,
so, this poem makes me aware of doing everything at right time as well.
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Selected Question from the poem "To His Coy Mistress"
Imagine that you are the "coy mistress', and that you
disagree with the narrator. Write down a list of reasons why you, or anyone
else, should not accept his proposal.
If I were the coy mistress, I would not be shy and coy like
the beloved in the poem. Frankly, I would listen to what my lover tells, and
then, I will reply hint at the same time.
I believe love is not a one-way process. Similarly, love for
only sex or fulfilling one's desire, love for time past, and love for just
relaxation cannot belong. It means only physical love without spiritual one is
always incomplete. Similarly, two hearts should be joined in true love. Where
there is devotion and sacrifice, humanity, kindness, then such kind of love is
permanent.
Of course, time never stops, life is short and death is
inevitable. Nobody remains young and beautiful forever. These are the universal
facts. So, only having the physical love and thinking about those universal
facts might make people no different than other animals in the universe. Both
mind and heart should be joined and love, relation, and desire of people should
be shared with each - other. Telling such things, I will try my best to
convince him about true love and its importance in our life.