to his coy mistress Flashcards
what type of poem is this
carpe diem .metaphysical poem. carpe diem= sieze the day, in latin. which puts emphasis to the poems allusion to living in the moment.
However, Metaphysical poetry is not regarded as a genre. The poets of this group didn’t read each other’s work and weren’t aware that they were part of a classification; it didn’t yet exist
who were the metaphysical poets
they were never part of a consciously formed group until the 18th century when Samuel Johnson used the term to mock a group of Renaisance poets who used strange images in their poetry .
Samuel Johnson first invented the term ‘Metaphysical poetry’ in his book Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets (1779-1781).
Despite living in a time when the Puritan Movement was gathering strength, many Metaphysical poems deal with seduction and descriptions of sexual relationships.
what are key characteristics of metaphysical poets
-they are highly intellectualized
-use bizarre and unconventional imagery
-frequent paradox
-use outlandish similes and metaphor. eg referencing to scientific discovery , exploration in the New World
- intricate arguments
-puns and worldplay
-hyperbole and allusion
-moving between strict ( often iambic) rhymths and regular meters
- colloquial speech
- arresting opening and dramatisation
what does metaphysical actually mean ?
‘meta’= after . so ‘metaphysical’= after the physical
Metaphysics deals with questions that can’t be explained by science, and explores the nature of reality in a philosophical way
Metaphysical poetry also explored a few common themes — religion; the theme of carpe diem (seize the day) and the nature of humanity and emotions.
what is the metaphysical conceit ?
strongly maintained, extended metaphor that creates an unusual comparison between 2 things ; ( samuel johnson didnt approve of ts he said “the most heterozygous ideas yoked together by violence”
thats what he said of Donnes conceits
briefly summarise THCM
following the example of Roman poets like Horace, it urges a young woman to enjoy the pleasures of life before death takes her. the poem attempts seduce the titular “coy mistress.” In the process, however, the speaker dwells with grotesque intensity on death itself. Death seems to take over the poem, displacing the speaker’s erotic energy and filling the poem with dread.
what is the historical context ( explain the english interregnum)
written in 1650s. written during the English Interregnum which was the period between the execution of Charles 1 in jan 1649 and arrival of his son Charles 11 in london may 1660- marked change in period of restoration
when did the english civil war occur and how
1640s. it was provoked by political and religious tensions between radical protestants and conservative angelicans.
it quickly became a broader conflict over the nature of government itself w Royalist (supported monarchy charles 1 and angelican church) against parlimentarians , supported a democratic form of gov and a puritan church)
when and how was charles 1 executed and its link w marvell
1649 by oliver cromwell ( a parlimentarian).
Marvell himself was an active participant in these events. Though he spent the war in Italy and France, working as the tutor for a noble British family, he returned to England in the early 1650s, living for several years at Nun Appleton Hall near York (where he wrote his famous poem, “Upon Appleton House”)
what political actions did marvell take
joined parliment in 1659 representing Kingston-upon-hull
after restoration of monarchy, marvel managed to escape punishment for his participation in the revolutionary gov ,
he prevented new king Charles 11 from executing John Milton
there is an absence of the political turmoil Marvell faced in THCM
why did he publish his poem posthumously (post his death)
had controversal views on both sides of the civil war , created many satirical poems which were too contentuous to be published
THCM is one of em
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whats a significant devise marvell uses borrowed from the Pertrarchan sonnet
beginning line 11 use of blazon( breaks his lovers body into individual parts & praises em
typical devise of petrarchan sonnets
key facts on andrew marvell
-metaphsycial poet satirist and politician
-wasnt bare popular, his style of writing= out of fashion.
pioneer in political satire ( enemy of court corruption)
huge inspriation for later writers like alexandra pope
- although he became a parlimentarian & opposed to episcopacy , he wasnt a puritan. seemed to be a conforming angelican
marvells poetic style
adhered to established stylised forms of neoclasical traditon like carpe diem
TS Eliot identified marvell and the metaphysical school of thought with the “dissociation of sensibility “. drawing a comparison between the ‘reflective poet’ and the ‘intellectual poet’
suggests poets of that period= self consciousness
“had we but World enough and Time This coyness Lady were no crime”
-hypothetical situation
‘coyness’= feigned fake shy, desire which is hidden
Lady- apostrophe
iambic tetrameter ( 4iambs)
opening lines establish poems structure- syllogism ( premise, problem, solution)
The theme is common for the time; poets and painters would try to seduce young ladies by reminding them of their looming mortality (symbolized in paintings by the “vanitas,”— usually a skull, known as a ‘death’s head’)
saying its a crime for them to wait
- subordinate clause= suspense , unusual syntax= inversion/ anastrophe
+ accusatory tone , sense of entitlement
“we would sit down , and think which way To walk and pass our long Loves Day.”
alliteration, long vowels- suggests intention to seduce, & emphasises the duration of this hypothetical relationship if there was enough time they would do everything
Thou by the Indian Ganges side shoudst Rubies find; i by the Tide of Humber would complain”
indian ganges= sacred river flows thru the region where tea and spices were prduced ; at the time these were almost exorbitant and sought after. he associated ts w the lady
juxtaposition w the Tide of Humber= river in the north of england ( where his dad drowned ) as its less captivating
association of women with the exotic= typical of metaphysical poetry
reference to miming of precious stones; pearls symbolise virginity and innocence whereas rubbies epitome of passion
+ shows nature of courtley love (pursuing unreachable women)
- mention of the indian ganges= exploration and conquests that the british empire done; exposes his real intentions, to manipulate and use
“i would Love you ten years before the Flood; And you shold if you please refuse “
refers to Genesis 6-9 ; noah and his fam. sailed in the ark for 40days and 40 nights during the flood
hyperbole= exaggerated time scale
may be a desperate means of equivocating his intellectuality , may be persuasive to a christian religious women
” till the Conversion of the Jews “
Biblical allusion
refers to the apocolypse in the Book of revelations
refers to when oliver cromwell invited jews back to england , for the economic benefit & and hopes that they would convert to christianity and bring the second coming of Christ.marvells mistress may wait forever to admit she loves him.
refers to the end of the world
” my vegatable Love should grow, Vaster then Empires and more slow “
metaphor, phallic symbolism + suggests a natural and organic development - or so it seems
‘empires’ = opening up of the new world , exploration was increasing , european countries expanding their embryonic colonies = grow to empires- double entrendre
“An hundred years should go to praise Thine Eyes and on thy Forehead Gaze Two hundred years to adore each Breast But thirty thousand to the rest, An Age at least to every part “
- lust, the attraction is purely physical
reminicent of style of medieval romance, poems of courtly love= dedicated to a distant, romanticised and untouchable lady
this genre- exaggerated chastity and propriety in addition to the lecherous undertone
ts quote=BLAZON (devise frequently used in elizabethan lyric poetry and parodied in shakespeares 130- used to emphasise time and how he would employ it to love said mistress ; desires to slow the pace of time and admire her
“And the last age should show your heart, For Lady you deserve this this state Nor would i love at a lower rate”
metaphor for her feels indiciates that if she rejects she lacks a heart
- suggets she deserves this great amount of love, respect quite the antithesis of his portrayed perception of her as a subject of lust. irony .
‘lady’- personal and intimate undertone
The reference to ‘rate’ implies that he would not love her less than the greatest amount achievable. It has been suggested that ‘rate’ also refers to “heart rate”.
” but at my back i alwaies hear, Times winged Charriot hurrying near”
archaic spelling ‘alwaies’
volta.;after exaggerated praise in stanza 1 , next part of the syllogism is the problem; disscuss reality. impending death and time
reference to greek mythology, Helius( sun god moving sun across the sky,( highlights mortality of human life)
personification of time which we also see in sonnet 116
+ metaphor, personification and allusion is used
“And yonder before us lye Deserts of vast Eternity “
irregular rhyme
sense of nothingness , no belief in the after life ; after life isnt presented as a realm of eternal bliss, untraditional,
reflects the metaphysical, metaphysical poets usually challenged accepted orthodoxy
suggested that this could be refence to the forty years the Hebrews were in the Desert seeking the promised land ( Joshua 5.6)
alternative interpretation ‘ deserts of vast eternity ‘=saying that if they dont get together , rest of life will be as arid and empty as a desert
“Thy beauty shall no more be found, Nor in thy marble vault , shall sound my echoing song “
mirrors the echoing sound ‘marble vault’ is a mausoleum/ grave, a metaphor for her death but also a metaphor for her body, that will be unresponsive to the echoing song
sibilant ‘s’ ‘s’ consonant rhyme in sound and song
semi colon= caesura, suggests the women is contemplating and thinking
contradictory to the tactic used in stanza 1 ( flattery and blazon, admiration)
“then worms shall try That long preserv’d virginity”
irregular rhyme
phallic imagery
she will die and decay:emphasises carpe diem
technique is known as memento mori (Latin for “remember that you must die”), which was widely used by the medieval Church to encourage detachment from worldly pleasures and sinful desire
church used to encourage young men to control their desires by thinking about their object of affection as a corpse eaten by worms
she wll either lose her virginity to him or the worms n
“And your quaint Honour turn to dust; And into ashes all my Lust
metaphor;
mocking tone lexis ‘quaint Honour’- obscene and belittling; justaposing the notion of true honour completely
double entrendre ‘quaint’ as quaint was a euphamism; example of yonic literature in 16th century
allusion to the angelican burial service ‘ashes to ashes, dust to dust’
“Now therefore while ayouthful glew Sits on thy skin like morning dew “
glew- arhcaic spelling( glow)
change of tone; shifting back to reality
‘now’ signals importance of acting promptly
dew may be a reference to spring; rebirth and change
creates foundation for final argument
if we look back to first stanza we see progression; 1= reference to past , exaggeration of praise 2=intro themes of death and decay, 2= final seize the day opportunity
“And while thy willing soul transpires At every pore with instant fires”
‘willing soul’ he believes she is now prepared. mixes spirtirual with the physical ‘instant fires’ = she is growing with passion and willingness
evidence of metaphysical;
-transpires= double meaning 1) literal persipation 2) figurative revelation of her soul.
physical and spiritual= interlinked
-‘instant fires’= denotes strong emotion+ existence, fire burns quickly= emphasises futility of love and time
- iambic tetrameter
suggests shes likes him deep down
” Now let us sport us while we may “
‘sport’ archaic lexis
‘Now’ trochee ( first syllable stressed) and an anaphoric repetition showcases the importance of carpe diem but may also be mocking the hypocrasy of sexual politics .particularly in how society imposes strict moral expectations on women while men are encouraged to pursue pleasure.
“And now,- like am’rous birds of prey”
paradox combines two opposing ideas—love and violence, passion and destruction. unexpected, as birds of prey are not usually associated with love. Many are solitary, only coming together to procreate. It hints of something more brutal than true/ platonic love
- simile and metaphor is used
“Rather at once our Time devour Than languish in his slow-chapt pow’r”
metaphor. let us devour time before it devours us.
‘devour’ connotes predatory / animalistic behaviour
lexis ‘languish’ long and evocative; slows down the pace
Slow-chapt pow’r” compares Time to a beast with slow-moving jaws, consuming them bit by bit.
“and tear our Pleasures with rough strife, Through the Iron gates of Life”
‘us’ and ‘our’ suggests a sense of togetherness and unity
iron gates= may be reference to hardship
iron gates may also parallel to gates of heaven
‘iron gates of life’ are perhaps also an allusion to the womb through which all life comes. But it also suggests they are ‘imprisoned’ in life and must seize immortal pleasures in a transcendent actof desire , one that combines soul and body and transcends time.
rough strifle = toxic masculinity
“Thus though we cannot make our sun Stand still, yet we can make him run”
‘iron gates of life’ are perhaps also an allusion to the womb through which all life comes. But it also suggests they are ‘imprisoned’ in life and must seize immortal pleasures in a transcendent sexual act, one that combines soul and body and transcends time.
‘iron gates of life’ are perhaps also an allusion to the womb through which all life comes. But it also suggests they are ‘imprisoned’ in life and must seize immortal pleasures in a transcendent sexual act, one that combines soul and body and transcends time.
- ‘Sun stand still’ are a reference to Joshua 10;12 ; when God made the sun stand still in answer to Joshua’s prayer for more time
- uninteruppted iambic tetrameter
enjambment = desire for continuation
what is structure used and meter
AABBCCDD
3 stanzas of varying length ; no rigid structure , enhances urgency and unpredictability of real life. mimicing natural speech
poem falls short of being a Heroic verse ( popula in 17th century) touches on concepts like epic battles .
iambic tetrameter uses a lighter less serious tone.regular iambic tetrameter but at crucial moments the stresses get disrupted eg line 37
A05
Until recently, “To His Coy Mistress” had been received by many as a poem that follows the traditional conventions of carpe diem love poetry. Some modern critics, however, argue Marvell’s use of complex and ambiguous metaphors challenges the perceived notions of the poem. Some critics believe the poem is an ironic statement on sexual seduction.
