To His Coy Mistress is a dramatic monologue written by Andrew Marvell. The speaker in the poem tries to seduce his mistress by telling her that they should make the most of their time together because eventually, she will be old and he will be dead.
He starts by telling her how he would spend eternity praising her beauty if he could, but since they only have a limited time on this earth, he says that they should seize the moment and enjoy each other now. He goes on to say that even though she may resist him at first, eventually she will yield to his charms and they will share a night of passion.
To His Coy Mistress is considered one of the best examples of a dramatic monologue because it reveals so much about the speaker’s character through his words and actions. He is clearly confident and persuasive, but also a bit manipulative. He is willing to wait for her, but he is not above using flattery and coercion to get what he wants. In the end, the reader is left to wonder whether or not he will be successful in his quest.
To His Coy Mistress is a dramatic monologue in which the speaker addresses his lady. There are arguments and counter-arguments in this poem, as well as a conclusion. The poem differs from courtly love poetry because the speaker utilized extensive exaggeration of time and space in the first two stanzas. The argument part begins with line 1. From thereon, the speaker wished that if he and his lady had enough time, he would take the normal approach to praise and court her.
However, time is not on their side. The second stanza is the part of counter-argument. In lines 5 to 8, the speaker pointed out that if they were to age and die, there would be no opportunity for love. To His Coy Mistress is an interesting poem because it has a unique structure and it shows how the speaker utilize argument and counter-argument to make his point. The poem is also a good example of how Marvell play with words and use exaggeration to create a poetic effect.
Exaggeration of time and space, in the next sections, makes it clear that their way of courting is infeasible by conventional standards. The distance between the Indian Granges and Humber is used as a metaphor for the huge area in lines 5-10, with ten years before the flood until the conversion of the Jews representing the length of time.
Such exaggeration is used to create a contrast with the conventional way of thinking about time and space. Secondly, the speaker used the biblical allusion “For instance, in line 11-18, ‘An hundred thousand years’ To make his mistress realize that he has been waiting for her for a long time. Thirdly, from line 19 to 22, the speaker said ‘And yet, wouldst thou grant me but this time’ which means even if you give me only this short moment, it would be enough for him because his love for her is eternal. In other words, he is willing to spend eternity with her.
The above lines from To His Coy Mistress are an excellent example of a dramatic monologue. In a dramatic monologue, the speaker is usually addressing a specific person or audience, and the poem often reveals something about the speaker’s character.
In this case, the speaker is trying to convince his mistress to spend time with him, and he does so by using exaggeration and irony. By exaggerating the distance between them and the length of time he has been waiting for her, he is trying to show her that he is willing to wait forever for her. This ultimately reveals his patience and dedication to her.
To have done so, would have been to reach no further than the poet’s own imagination.” To “squeeze the universe into a ball” is an example of hyperbole, which once again proves that time is of the essence and they do not have enough of it.
The speaker in To His Coy Mistress also makes many references to death, which also symbolizes the shortness and fragility of life. In lines 13-14, Marvell writes, “And you should if you please refuse / To love me for my days grow briefer.” Here, the speaker is saying that his mistress should take advantage of his love while she can because his days are numbered. This sentiment is echoed again in lines 45-46, when the speaker says, “The grave’s a fine and private place / But none, I think, do there embrace.” In other words, once we die, our love for each other dies with us.
The question is re-asked yet again: should he have dared? And the same response is given: “Would it have been worthwhile?” — for the lady, turning to the window, may remark, “That’s not it at all. That’s not what I meant.” Marvell’s lyric works were never published during his lifetime when he was known as a writer of political satire attacking religious intolerance and political corruption. His housekeeper, Mary Palmer, immediately following his death sent his writings to press under a Preface that she signed “Mary Marvell,” implying that she was his wife.
To His Coy Mistress was first published in a London anthology in 1681, but it was not until the twentieth century that the poem’s fame began to spread. This famous lyric by Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) is an example of a dramatic monologue, a poetic form in which the speaker addresses a silent listener, usually revealing his or her character in the process.
To His Coy Mistress employs many of the same conceits, or extended metaphors, as other poems of its type. The most obvious is the carpe diem motif, in which the speaker urges his lover to seize the day and enjoy their youth while they can, because time is fleeting. To do this, he uses an elaborate metaphor likening her to a flower that will soon wilt and fade.
