To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell

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To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell

 

Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) was an English poet.

  • He lived during the 17th century, a period of political and social upheaval in England.
  • Marvell is known for his witty and satirical poems.
  • One of his most famous poems is "To His Coy Mistress," in which he persuades a woman to seize the moment and embrace love.
  • He also wrote political poetry, addressing contemporary issues and advocating for individual liberty.
  • Marvell was a member of the English Parliament and served as a diplomat.
  • His works often explored themes of love, time, and human nature.
  • Marvell's poetry is celebrated for its clever wordplay and thought-provoking ideas.
  • He is considered one of the Metaphysical poets, known for their intellectual and philosophical approach to poetry.
  • His poems continue to be studied and admired for their rich language and inventive imagery.

                                           To His Coy Mistress 

 Had we but world enough and time,

This coyness, lady, were no crime.

We would sit down, and think which way

To walk, and pass our long love’s day.

Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side

Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide

Of Humber would complain. I would

Love you ten years before the flood,

And you should, if you please, refuse

Till the conversion of the Jews.

My vegetable love should grow

Vaster than empires and more slow;

An hundred years should go to praise

Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;

Two hundred to adore each breast,

But thirty thousand to the rest;

An age at least to every part,

And the last age should show your heart.

For, lady, you deserve this state,

Nor would I love at lower rate.

       But at my back I always hear

Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near;

And yonder all before us lie

Deserts of vast eternity.

Thy beauty shall no more be found;

Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound

My echoing song; then worms shall try

That long-preserved virginity,

And your quaint honour turn to dust,

And into ashes all my lust;

The grave’s a fine and private place,

But none, I think, do there embrace.

       Now therefore, while the youthful hue

Sits on thy skin like morning dew,

And while thy willing soul transpires

At every pore with instant fires,

Now let us sport us while we may,

And now, like amorous birds of prey,

Rather at once our time devour

Than languish in his slow-chapped power.

Let us roll all our strength and all

Our sweetness up into one ball,

And tear our pleasures with rough strife

Through the iron gates of life:

Thus, though we cannot make our sun 

Stand still, yet we will make him run.


Summary

"To His Coy Mistress" is a poem where the speaker is trying to convince his lover to be more open to love and intimacy. He starts by saying that if they had all the time in the world, her shyness wouldn't be a problem. They could take things slow, and he would spend centuries admiring her beauty. He even suggests he would love her for ten years before a major biblical event (the conversion of the Jews) took place.

But then, the speaker changes his tone. He realizes that they don't have endless time. He describes how time is always moving forward, like a winged chariot rushing toward them. He's worried that they'll miss their chance for love if they wait too long. He paints a bleak picture of the future, where her beauty fades, and they can no longer enjoy love.

So, he urges her to embrace their love now, while they are young and full of desire. He wants them to make the most of their time together, just like birds of prey seize their prey without hesitation. He suggests they combine their passion and pleasure into one powerful moment. He compares this to breaking through the iron gates of life.

In the end, the speaker acknowledges that they can't stop time, but they can make the most of the present by experiencing love and passion. He wants to make time feel like it's running fast, even though they can't really stop it.

The poem's central message is about the fleeting nature of time and the urgency of embracing love and passion in the present, as life is short, and opportunities for love may be lost if not seized.

 

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

  1. What does the speaker wish they had more of in the poem?

a)      Money

b)      Time

c)       Ruby gemstones

d)      Love

Answer: b) Time

  1. Where does the speaker imagine finding rubies in the poem?

a)      By the Indian Ganges' side

b)      By the Humber river

c)       In a treasure chest

d)      In a jewelry store

Answer: a) By the Indian Ganges' side

  1. How long does the speaker claim he would love the mistress before the flood?

a)      Ten years

b)      A hundred years

c)       A thousand years

d)      Until the end of time

Answer: a) Ten years

  1. What event does the speaker mention in relation to the mistress refusing his love?

a)      The conversion of the Jews

b)      The arrival of spring

c)       A solar eclipse

d)      The end of the world

Answer: a) The conversion of the Jews

  1. What comparison does the speaker use to describe the growth of his love in the poem?

a)      A racing car

b)      A slow-growing plant

c)       An expanding empire

d)      A fading star

Answer: c) An expanding empire

  1. What is the speaker willing to spend hundreds of years doing in the poem?

a)      Praising the mistress's eyes

b)      Adoring the mistress's breasts

c)       Courting the mistress

d)      Traveling the world

Answer: b) Adoring the mistress's breasts

  1. What does the speaker say will happen to the mistress's beauty in the future?

a)      It will last forever

b)      It will never be found again

c)       It will turn to dust

d)      It will become a legend

Answer: b) It will never be found again

  1. What fate does the speaker predict for his lust in the poem?

a)      It will endure forever

b)      It will be eternal

c)       It will turn to ashes

d)      It will be preserved in a vault

Answer: c) It will turn to ashes

  1. What is the speaker's attitude toward death in the poem?

a)      He welcomes it

b)      He is afraid of it

c)       He doesn't mention it

d)      He believes it can be avoided

Answer: b) He is afraid of it

  1. How does the speaker propose to deal with the limitations of time in the poem?

a)      By making time stand still

b)      By embracing love and passion now

c)       By finding a way to escape time

d)      By traveling to the past

Answer: b) By embracing love and passion now

 

Short Answer Type Questions:

  1. What is the speaker's argument for why the mistress should embrace love and passion in the present?
    • The speaker argues that time is constantly moving forward, and their beauty and youth will not last. He fears that in the future, they will be separated by death, and their opportunities for love will be lost.
  2. How does the speaker use the image of "Time’s wingèd chariot" in the poem?
    • The image of Time's wingèd chariot represents the relentless march of time and mortality. It is a reminder that time is constantly moving, and death is approaching.
  3. What does the speaker mean by "languish in his slow-chapped power" in the poem?
    • The speaker is referring to the idea that if they delay and do not embrace love and passion now, they will be subjected to the slow and unyielding power of time, which will eventually lead to separation and death.
  4. How do the poem’s final lines suggest the speaker's approach to dealing with the limitations of time?
    • The final lines suggest that while the speaker cannot stop time, they can make the most of the present by fully experiencing love and passion. By doing so, they can make time seem to move quickly, like a running sun.
  5. What is the central message of the poem "To His Coy Mistress"?
    • The central message of the poem is a call to seize the moment and embrace love and passion in the present, as time and mortality are inevitable and will eventually separate lovers. It urges the mistress not to be coy or hesitant but to make the most of their time together.

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