Greetings! Today on the blog we examine the life and times of Andrew Marvell, the poet and satirist. His contributions are numerous, so let’s get right into it!
Who was Andrew Marvell?
Andrew Marvell was a “metaphysical” poet and satirist who wrote “To His Coy Mistress,” somewhere between 1650 and 1652. Marvelll went to Trinity College in Cambridge and wrote a variety of “political verse satires’ from The Last Instructions to a Painter, to The Rehearsal Transpros’d. Marvell was born March 31, 1621 and died August 18, 1678.
His housekeeper eventually saw the publication of the aforementioned piece in 1681. Sometimes good writing just stays in the trunk for a while, and sometimes it’s too good to just stay there forever.
What is a “Metaphysical Poet”?
As Britannica puts it, a “metaphysical poet” is a writer in 17th-century England whose work “… is a blend of emotion and intellectual ingenuity, characterized by conceit or ‘wit’” (Britannica). That is to say, the verse is often times a contrast between a few things that simply jars the reader into thinking about the poet’s perspective.
In other words, the poet is interested in “exploring the recesses of his consciousness” rather than using their feelings to create imagery. These poets have a grandiose, sarcastic interpretation of the world, and they paint this picture with satire and wit.
Moreover, we can see an infatuation with the idea of carpe diem, which helps inform some of the writers’ exploration as the “metaphysical poets” felt that life was best only if lived to the fullest.
Similarly, and as pointed out previously, Marvell was a satirist, and with that being said, he poked fun at politics, society, and love. Thus, one doesn’t have to take him seriously in the statements that he makes in To His Coy Mistress, as it may well be his tongue-in-cheek nature at play…and maybe a little seriousness, too.
“Metaphysics” in action in To His Coy Mistress
In To His Coy Mistress Andrew Marvell is poking fun at the conventions of love and asserting a sort of carpe diem attitude toward the subject of the poem—a virginal woman who is the focus of Marvell’s lust.
Within the poem, Marvell is attempting to make a compelling argument for why this woman should give into her baser desires rather than holding off until they are both past their prime ages.
He spends time praising the subject’s body, including “Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze” and “each breast,” and at the same time warning her that time marches onward and her beauty will fade: “But at my back I always hear / Time’s winged chariot hurrying near.” According to Marvell, she should relent to his wants before she loses her appeal.
Conclusion
Pretty much, Marvell wants experience her carnal pleasures before they both get any older. The boorish nature of this request is a satirical poke at the chasteness of society (or lack thereof) and the hastiness of love for baser desire. His sentiment certainly critiques courting lovers and how sex is often viewed in society.
Citations
“To His Coy Mistress.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/topic/To-His-Coy-Mistress. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.
Andrew Marvell. “To His Coy Mistress.” Poetry Foundation, 2018, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44688/to-his-coy-mistress.
