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, to underline and show his love for the woman, the sonneteer adds that if he had the possibility, he would begin to love her before the Flood; and, if she did 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, while looking at his beloved, the poet compares his love to a growing plant, and says that it increases more and more, vaster than empires but slower. Then, using the passing of time, the poet makes a parody: he says he needs an hundred years to admire the eyes and the face of the woman; two hundred eyes 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:  in fact, nobody in the world. is able to live in such a long way. 

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

Lines 21-22

The word "but" underlines a change in the point of view of the poet because it takes him from   his dreams, back to reality. The poet speaks about the Time who is personified (capital letter):  its passing is compared to a winged chariot hurrying at his back. Using this metaphor he describes the coming of death.

Lines 23-24 

In these lines the poet seems to say the opposite thing than the previous ones. Maybe he is referring to the first lines, where he says that if they had more time they would pass it together.

Lines 25-32 

Here the poet says that the woman's beauty will not survive after death, neither in the tomb, nor in his poems (songs): so he describes what will happen after her death: the worms will eat her body while his dreams and her chastity will turn into dust.  Then he says that apart from the fact that the tomb is in his opinion a fine place to stay, he won't be able to love her there.

Lines 33-44 

The writer thinks he has find a solution: he exhorts (invites) the woman to stay together till life permits it. Moreover he compares themselves to a couple of amorous birds. 

Then he insists on the fact that they should satisfy their pleasures to fight against the passing of time.

Lines 45-46 

To conclude his work, Marvell says that they won't be able to stop the time: this concept is expressed through the metaphor of the sun.