Critical Essay of to His Coy Mistress

307 Words2 Pages
Graham 2 to the topic of death is meant to shock readers (par. 8). Meyer ends his essay explaining the male character plea to the women, and expresses the feeling of “Carpe Deim” (par. 9). He then states that the poem is so widely enjoyable not because the man’s quest for the woman’s virginity but simply the “various plays he pulls from his persuasive bag of tricks” (par. 10). I agree with Meyer’s view of “To His Coy Mistress”. I believe that the poem is about a man trying to persuade a young woman to give up her virginity. He uses many forms of persuasion to try to achieve this. He first begins by expressing how he wishes he had all of eternity with her in the poems famous line, “Had we but world enough and time” (line 1). He then switches tactics and begins trying to flatter the lady, and he also gives her reassurance of his devotion to her. Marvell stops his flattery in the second stanza and begins explaining to the woman why she shouldn’t hold back. He expresses that her beauty will not last, and she needs to seize the day while she still can. I do not think that anyone wishes to die alone, and the male character plays on the women’s fear of loneliness in death by explaining her grave in a very decrepit manner. This is a terrible form of persuasion, but I believe that the male character was willing to try anything to woo this women. Though the plea for the woman to give into the man’s desires is blatant, I do believe that Andrew Marvell’s, “To His Coy Mistress” is an intriguing and unique love poem. I only wish that there was a conclusion telling whether he won her over or if she refused his persuasive
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