To His Coy Mistress

4 Pages 883 Words

Poetry Essay
“To His Coy Mistress” a poem written by Andrew Marvell is one of the most famous carpe diem poems ever written. Carpe diem means to seize the day. Marvell’s poem is about a young man trying to persuade his mistress to have sex with him. The young man is using a tripartite form of an argument, using figurative language to try and persuade his mistress to have sex with him. The young man’s argument is divided into three stanzas of the poem. In the first stanza, the young man is using figurative language to let his mistress know how much he would love her if he had a lot of time. Next, in the second stanza the young man is using figurative language to tell his mistress that time is running out and what will happen when it does. Lastly, in the third stanza the young man uses figurative language to tell his mistress now would be a good time to have sex. The figurative language used in each stanza, comes together to form the carpe diem theme.
In the first stanza of the poem the young man says,” Had we but world enough and time this coyness, lady, were no crime”(1-2). He is stating that if the two had all the time in the world that he would not mind his mistress acting reluctant. The young man is saying if they had the time,” My vegetable love should grow vaster than empires, and more slow.”(11-12). The young man is stating that his flourishing love for his mistress would grow larger than empires but a lot slower, if they had the time. If he had,” World enough and time”(1), “ An hundred years should go to thine eyes, on thy forehead gaze, two hundred to adore each breast, but thirty thousand to the rest. An age at least to every part”(13-17). The young man is letting his mistress know he would spend countless years on each part of her body, if they had the time. The young man is pointing out what he would do if he had a lot of time, by using figurative language. This part of the argument i...