TO HIS COY MISTRESS – ANDREW MARVELL

The task wanted us to analyse the text “To his coy Mistress” written by Andrew Marvell. First of all I will consider the title. The reader expects to face a sonnet that deals with a lady who is not ready to satisfy her lover’s request, The reason is not clear since the reader doesn’t know why the mistress is said to be coy. The reader can assume that the man’s heart is totally hers because of the possessive adjective “his” and the choice of the word “mistress” used in the title.

Furthermore the use of the possessive adjective in the title makes the reader expect that the poet doesn’t identify with the speaking voice.

Right from the start the speaking voice uses an if-clause which justify an imaginary situation in the present. Furthermore, by using rhyming couplets, the speaking voice underlines that if they had world enough and time, the lady’s coyness would not have been a crime.

He wants to highlight the fact that they haven’t got enough time and space for their love.

He carries on saying that if they had time, they would sit down and would think which way to walk and would pass their long love’s day. In these lines the poet wants to focus on the fact that they have no time for this and as a consequence they cannot waste time. As a result his lady’s coyness is a crime. 

He goes on saying that if they had time the lady would have to sit to the Indian Ganges’ side to find rubies which are precious stones. On the other hand he would have to be by the tide of  the Humber complaining. The choice of the two rivers is meaningful. As a matter of fact The Indian Ganges is a very important river for the Indian religion. On the contrast, the Humber is an English little river. In these lines there is a frequent use of the sound “ai” in the words “time”, “crime”, “tide”, “side” which conveys to the pain of the speaking voice.

The speaking voice continues his description saying that he would have loved his lady ten years before the Flood and she should have refused until the conversion of the Jews. It is clear that he uses an hyperbole to emphasise his love and to focus on his lady’s refusal. As a matter of fact his lady will refuse him until the conversion of Jews which is an impossible event.