To his coy mistress

 
                                     

  Analysis of the poem:

                                      

                 "To His Coy Mistress" is a metaphysical poem written by the English author and politician Andrew Marvell (1621 – 1678).  It was published posthumously in 1681.  His most of poem focuses more on theme of “love and God”. This poem is also about theme of love and shyness of beloved. This poem is considered one of Marvell's finest and is possibly the best recognized carpe diem poem in English.

                               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.

          This poem is start with the coyness of beloved. The poet saying that if the lover had enough time then beloved’s coyness was no crime but hence the beloved is so shy then her shyness is like crime. Her shyness is become a crime because they have very less time left and if they had enough time they could think over how to pass their ‘long loves 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.

           In the next few lines the poet refers about Indian ‘Ganga’ and ‘Humber’ which is in England. Through the reference of this the poet won’t to say that, whenever both the lover meets some were there was always a distant because of beloved coyness and her refusal to give herself to him. He also says that his long and still the conversation of Jew her refusal surrender herself. 

                                Vaster than empires, and more slow;
                              A 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

            The poet starts next line by comparing his love to vegetable. His love is like a vegetable which grows day by day ‘vaster than empire’.  Then the poet starts praising each part of beloved’s body. She was so beautiful and adorable that the lover would happily pass hundred years to praise beloved eyes and also gazing on the forehead of the beloved. He would spend two hundred year to praise his beloved each breast still he requires thirty thousand year. To praise rest of the part of her body and when death was about to came the beloved might live her coyness and show her love.

                           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.

            In the next line we see that beloved is indeed say but whatever the lover said regarding the years to praise of out of pure love more than that beloved deserve this type of love. Poet says that he would not love her lore then this his love should always be ‘vaster than empire’. Next line he refers to the short time which is passing poet hears sound of ‘time’s winged chariot which id hurrying near’ which means time is passing very fast.

                                     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.

            In the next lines the poet explains what would happen if the beloved dies without having physical relation with the lover. If the beloved shall continue her coyness like this then one day when the death will arrives at that time her beauty will be die as well as the echoing song also won’t be there. The beloved is very coy and there for she is not allowed the lover come close to her.  Therefore the poet say that once she is dead, warms will eat her long preserved virginity.  Before it happen she should has physical relation with the lover because after the death if they won’t have physical relation, the loves of the lover will turn in to ashes.  The poet says that before it happen the beloved should stop be very shy.

                                      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.

          Then in the next line the poet campers ‘youth’ with the morning dew. The ways morning dew drops on the skin and goes out of that within few time in the same way youth also stays for a while only. So before the lover get prey by the time or by the society the lover won’t his beloved to surrender herself and enjoy togetherness.

                                            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

         In the last the poet says that it is not our hand to stop the sun but if we can stop it. We have to change with the time which means before the time grapes then in to its clutches. She should stop to be shy and with all her willingness she should enjoy the pleasure be together. Therefore the poet say that it tacks a lot to passed journey of life. All it is difficult with the time they have. They should collect all their strength and with strength and sweetness they should strife hard to be together.