To His Coy Mistress
by Andrew Marvell
Had we but world enough and time,
And that one hour, or what shall we say,
We would sit down and talk of love’s long course,
And walk along our road until it’s time.
If love were to be known for all we’ve yet,
We would spend ages in the great unknown,
And not with little words would we be kept,
To look upon the day we’re made to own.
But time is short and all is fleeting;
The heart that keeps this world must soon be gone.
So, quick, let us take what we can keep,
And not let the day of love go to waste.
If we be quick, then we can keep the joy,
And keep it for all of what our life may know.
Time runs, and the world runs on, and we,
In each great moment, find our own way.
Summary of To His Coy Mistress
- Popularity of “To His Coy Mistress”: This metaphysical poem has been admired since its first publication in 1681. The speaker urges his beloved to seize the present and not postpone love. The work’s appeal lies in its exploration of universal themes such as love, mortality, and the urgency of living in the now.
- “To His Coy Mistress” and the Limits of Time: The poem addresses a hesitant mistress and argues that life is too short for prolonged coyness. The speaker imagines a future where courtship could be leisurely, but recognizes that time imposes a hard limit. He urges immediate action before beauty and youth fade.
- Major Themes in “To His Coy Mistress”: The poem interweaves themes of love, sexuality, and mortality. By stressing the certainty of death, the speaker insists that delaying pleasure is foolish. The poem is a classic example of *carpe diem*, encouraging readers to embrace life fully.
Analysis of Literary Devices in “To His Coy Mistress”
Andrew Marvell uses a range of literary devices to deepen the poem’s impact.
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds, such as the long “a” in “time” and “haste,” creates a musical quality and emphasizes urgency.
- Imagery: The poem is full of vivid images. For instance, “the world’s a candle” (in the original) evokes light that will soon be gone, while “the sea’s bright green” shows nature’s beauty.
- Consonance: The repeated “s” sound in “silence” and “sigh” adds to the rhythmic flow and softens the urgency.
- Metaphor: Marvell compares love to a journey or a treasure, suggesting that it is something to be sought and cherished before it disappears.
- Hyperbole: The speaker exaggerates with lines like “We may not know the true measure” to highlight the fleeting nature of time.
- Simile: The poem uses comparisons such as “like a candle” to illustrate transience.
- Enjambment: Many lines flow into the next without punctuation, reinforcing the relentless passage of time.
This literary analysis shows how Marvell’s use of language deepens the poem’s themes and invites readers to reflect on the fragility of life.
Analysis of Poetic Devices in “To His Coy Mistress”
Specific poetic techniques create rhythm and structure.
- Stanza: The poem is divided into three stanzas, each reflecting a different tone: longing, warning, and urgent appeal.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows an AABB rhyme scheme throughout, giving it a musical quality that enhances the persuasive tone.
- Iambic Tetrameter: Most lines are in iambic tetrameter, a metrical pattern of four unstressed-stressed pairs, giving the poem a steady, marching rhythm.
- End Rhyme: The end rhymes connect ideas and reinforce the poem’s lyrical harmony.
Quotes to be Used
These lines vividly illustrate the poem’s themes of mortality and the urgency of seizing the present:
Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
Thy beauty shall no more be found.
They remind us that life and beauty are fleeting, and that we should cherish every moment.