To his Coy Mistress

By Andrew Marvell

The title makes the reader expect the speaking voice's lady is not ready to satisfy her love's requests. The reason is not clear because the reader does not know why the mistress is sad to be coy. Is it because she is shy? Is there any other reason for her attitude? This is a good reason to read the poem.

The choice of the world mistress, however, immediately makes the reader understand that the man's heart is totally hers.  Moreover, from the title the reader can also understand that the poet is referring to the woman of a man, and not to his woman.

Analysis of the poem: 

lines 1-10

In the first lines Marvell is thinking about time's waste, because if they had much more time and space, they would have been able to sit down, think and choice what way to walk together and in which way spend their love. In fact in his opinion the woman should search and find rubies by the Gange's side while he is complaining by the Humber's tide. 

Then the sonneteer, to underline and show his love for the woman, adds that if he had the possibility, he would begin to love her before the Flood; and, if she does not return his love, she could refuse him until the conversion of the Jews, that is to say never. 

In fact, in the poet's idea, the woman is not allowed to refuse him, even if she belongs to another man.

Lines 11-20

In these lines the poet compares his love to a growing plant, and says that it increases more and more, vaster than empires but slower, looking at his beloved.

Then, using the passing of time, he makes a parody: he says he needs an hundred years to admire the eyes and the face of the woman; two hundred years to look at each breast, but thirty thousand ones to admire each part of her body. He also needs an age, at least, to look at every part of her body, and he says, in the last age she should open her heart to him. All these references to the passing of time, are made in order to make the poet joking: nobody in world, in fact, is able to live in such a long way. 

In the last two lines Marvell concludes, referring to the woman, saying that she deserves all these kindnesses, but he would not love her in a slower way.