Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) was an English Metaphysical poet. Marvell wrote several satirical poems against the corruption of the court, but they were published after his death (for being too subversive). ?To His Coy Mistress', though not about politics, is also a subversive poem. It is an invitation to physical love addressed by the speaker to his mistress who is, according to him, playing coy. The poem is a perfect example of a Carpe Diem. Carpe Diem is a phrase from the Latin poet Horace, meaning "seize the day". In this sense, Marcel, who is mostly referred to as a Metaphysical poet, could be considered as a Cavalier poet. The poem consists in 46 verses, divided in three parts (1-20) (21-32) (32-46); to follow the pattern of a logical argument, but we'll see that in other regards, we might rather see two halves; from the first line to the l.20 and l.20 to the end. The verses are mainly iambic tetrameters, and at first, appear as very regular. How does the poem, constitute itself as a subversive work while playing with the conventions and regularity?
[...] Conclusion Playing with the conventions of poetry but also with representations, Marvel elaborates his own baroque and metaphysical poetical language. [...]
[...] Another Petrarchan feature in poetry is the Blason in which the poet praises his mistress's beauty, commenting on each part of her body. In the poem, at the lines 14 to 17, we find a similar praise (though hypothetical) to “thine eyes”, “thy forehead gaze” “each breast” “the rest” “every part” Hyperbolic style. The mocked Petrarchan poem employs, as its model, a hyperbolic style. In the “Blason” with the exaggeration, and the hyperbolic progression of the years the poet would consecrate to his mistress adoration. [...]
[...] Death in To His Coy Mistress In the poem, it is a very subversive vision of death that is presented, differing from the traditional representations of the century. Death is seen as an ineluctable fate that brings the poet to an epicurean philosophy of life. A Baroque interest for carcasse. An interest of the times. The poem displays a row image of death and an shocking morbidity. “worms” “ashes” and “dust” + the vault The other subversive representation is the apparent absence of afterlife that evoque the “deserts of vast eternity” idea that death is empty leads to the argument: “we should enjoy life now for nothing waits for us after this life” Where no more beauty nor poetry is possible (echoing song) Finally, Marvel presents sex as a remedy. [...]
[...] The verses are mainly iambic tetrameters, and at first, appear as very regular. How does the poem, playing with the conventions and regularity, constitute itself as a subversive work? I. An Ironical Petrarchan poetry II. A Carpe Diem ; Eroticism and Bravado III. A Baroque vision of Time and Death I. An ironical Petrarchan poetry In the first half of the poem, the speaker has a reverie in which he tells his mistress how he would love and court her if he could 1. The conventions The Complaint. [...]
[...] Marvel's “To His Coy Mistress”: a Baroque reworking of conventions Andrew Marvel (1621-1678) was an English metaphysical poet. He studied in Cambridge's trinity college, where he wrote his first poems. In his early life he has been the tutor of Lord Fairfax's daughter, and lived at the family estate of Nun Appleton House. There he wrote the poem I will study: To His Coy Mistress. Later he involved in politics along with another poet, John Milton (who became a friend), in Cromwell's Council of State. [...]
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