To His copy Mistress Andrew Marvell

To His copy Mistress

Andrew Marvell

England (1621-1678)

b. Apply the four levels of meaning to the poem “To His Copy Mistress”.

Literal Comprehension: This romantic love poem is composed by Andrew Marvell. The speaker is in Deep Ocean of love and praising the value of his beloved very much. The speaker of the poem wishes if he had enough time he would sit and spend a lot of time with his beloved. He would spend plenty of time to praise either her forehead or eyes or breast. He hopes he would spend unlimited time with his beloved. But the speaker is hastening that the vehicle of time is running quickly telling that beauty youth are matters of decay. With the passage fo time everything will decay. So the speaker requests his beloved to be according to the demand fo time. So they can’t stop the sum from moving. It is request of the speaker to be united and burn the light of love in time. It is sure to pass youth and beauty and become meaningless things after death no one will praise her beauty in the grave. Whatever they have to do they must do in right time.

Interpretation: this beautiful love poem might be trying to make us to understand the value of time “Time and tide wait for none” is clearly presented here. Whatever (love, duty, and others) works we love to do we should do in time. In the process of love the lover is wooing his shy beloved to understand the boundary of time and love when she has youth. Sometimes we are carefree of our life but the pace of time reminds us what we are doing and where   we are going. So, to impart the value of time and do our duty in time this love poem is inspiring us a lot.

Critical thinking: This love poem has logical presentation. There are three movements in the process of love within the rotation of time. It begins with “If we had …. Time” proceeds with “But ….we do not” and concludes with “therefore…”. Since it is purely love provoking poem, there is exaggerations. Thought there is ideal presentation of love and lovers’ activities, the speaker has not gone out of the boundary of time. But we are confused: Is this love for purely spiritual or just for physical passion? Is it speaker’s intension to sex? Even then the poem is really romantic, impressive and appealing one.

Assimilation: After reading this poem I came to know that there is much value of time and out youth, which is fully controlled. Time and beauty of youth pas like the fading of blooming rose. Not only love but any passion to do any progress should be done in time. “Later is better than never” is not suitable in case of love and youth because the blooming rose of love will be plucked by somebody sooner. This poem on the one hand reminded me to get married in time not being over thirty. One the other hand I should make my bright career during my youth otherwise with the floating of time I will float and miss everything. I will just have of repent them.

c. Interpret the poem “To His Coy Mistress” as a romantic love poem.

The poem may be trying to show that we should do everything in time because time is going on with its movement. If the time and poet’s beloved were same forever, there would not be any hurry to make love. If the beauty and youth lasts longer, there will not be any tension I becoming hurry. This shows that the speaker seems a bit crazy in love. He seems to be in sensual love, which is fully related to emotions feelings and imaginations. We may raise some questions that are youth and beauty only for love? Are not old people be in love? This shows that the poet is deadly in love.

No doubt, in love there must be faith truth and beauty. Since love is life which is a combination of two souls. It shouldn’t be artificial one. Like the speaker’s view time changes everything but love never dies. Love is not only sexual desire. It is a matter of soul not of the skin.