To His Coy Mistress

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1681

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Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Further Reading & Resources

Related Poems

"The Ecstasy", or The Extasie, by John Donne (1633)

This metaphysical poem by Donne shares the theme of uniting body and soul with Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress.” Also, Donne utilizes imagery of the grave, including “sepulchral statues.” Both Marvel and Donne use memento mori to argue for engaging in physical acts of love, as well as lovers metaphysically mixing. The body is celebrated and abstaining from sex is frowned upon in both poems because the body is connected to the soul for the metaphysical poets.

"There is a Garden in Her Face" by Thomas Campion (1601)

Campion’s Renaissance poem utilizes the literary device of the blazon that Marvell reworks. Both Campion and Marvell have moments of orientalism; Marvell’s Indian rubies echo Campion’s “orient pearl.” These precious stones are characterized as foreign: They stand out as exotic and pricey elements among otherwise English and commonplace imagery. Marvell, unlike Campion, does not use (white) objects to describe beauty, but rather makes the blazon device a temporal one—connecting feminine features to time.

"The Sunrise Ruby" by Rumi (13th century)

In contrast to the foreign rubies of Marvell’s poem that illustrate a colonial view of the precious stone, Rumi describes the intermingling of the ruby with the sunlight passing through it. Marvell’s sun, a symbol of time, does not connect with his lines about the coy mistress finding rubies along the shore of the Ganges River. On the other hand, Rumi describes the ruby as something that transcends a stone—with the sun shining through it, it becomes “a world made of redness.” Rumi’s sunlit ruby is a way to understand love and god.

"The Definition of Love" by Andrew Marvell (1681)

Another poem by Marvell, “The Definition of Love” includes the metaphysical theme of combining the physical and immaterial. Fate is anthropomorphized, keeping lovers geographically separated. Marvell’s diction of "embrace," "world," and "eye" appear in both poems, linking them on the sentence-level with word choices supporting the larger themes running throughout his lyrical poetic works.

"Sonnet 130" by William Shakespeare (1609)

Like Marvell, Shakespeare innovates upon the blazon trope. Sonnet 130 recounts the features of Shakespeare’s "dark lady," as scholars often refer to the woman in his sonnet sequence. Unlike Campion’s lady whose complexion is pale and rosy, Shakespeare describes his beloved using a series of negations: Her lips are not like coral, her eyes are not like the sun, there are no roses in her cheeks, etc. This formulation of definition by negation resembles the kind of circuitous argumentation Marvell uses in “To His Coy Mistress.”

"The Altar" by George Herbert (1633)

Herbert is an influential figure among metaphysical poets. Unlike Marvell, Herbert uses shaped poetry (called concrete poetry in modern verse) to form “The Altar.” The poem's altar-like shape visually drives home the connection between the physical and metaphysical appearing in Marvell’s verse. Like Campion’s “There is a Garden in Her Face,” Herbert’s poem has been set to music. Like Marvell, Herbert uses rhymed couplets, but a variety of line lengths (to fit the pictorial structure). The fluctuating lengths of lines exemplify the innovative style metaphysical poets popularized.

Further Literary Resources

Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation by Bede (c. 731)

This work gives context for the relationship between religion and calendaring. Bede extensively focuses on the date of Easter as part of his chronicling of the development of the church in England. Some versions of this history omit Bede’s discussions of miracles. Marvell’s use of Biblical events to describe epochal time in “To His Coy Mistress” echoes Bede’s concern over when the miracle of Christ’s resurrection occurred in the Roman calendar versus the English calendar.

Areopagitica by John Milton (1644)

Milton’s polemic (vigorous prose argument) in favor of freedom of the press and the end of censorship inflicted on writers during the English Civil War gives several examples of poetic rhetoric similar to the syllogism used in “To His Coy Mistress.” As Marvell’s employer during this period, Milton's essay also serves as both literary and historical context for discussing the poetic works that emerged from this environment.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare (1603)

The titular character of Shakespeare’s play shares Marvell’s obsession with death--and specifically worms in the grave. Hamlet emphasizes the levelling power of death: Worms will consume kings and commoners alike. In order to discuss how conceptions of honor based on virginity are problematic, “To His Coy Mistress” focuses on how worms can enter the body without consent. Like Hamlet’s worms, Marvell’s worms equalize virgins and non-virgins in death.

Comus by John Milton (1634)

This masque (opulent play presented at court) exemplifies the carpe diem genre. Comus, a god of revelry (like Pan or Dionysus), encourages The Lady (the unnamed protagonist of the play) to not be coy. Marvell’s poem employs the same carpe diem elements: encouraging a lady to abandon her coyness. Both Milton’s masque and Marvell’s poem use the argument that sex is natural. However, Milton’s lady refuses Comus, while the second-person address of Marvell’s poem leaves his lady’s answer to be determined. Comus, unlike Marvell, is clearly an antagonist, while the lady will decide whether Marvell’s speaker is friend or foe.