Andrew Marvell Brief Questions
___ is a notable literary work by ___. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of ___.
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Andrew Marvell Brief Questions
What does the title indicate about the mistress of the poet?
Ans: The title indicates that the poet’s mistress’s shyness impedes making love.
Where is Humber situated?
Ans: Humber is a river in Humberside, North-East England.
What does the poet always hear at his back? (NU. 2023)
Ans: The poet always hears the sound of Time’s winged chariot, which reminds him that death is coming and life is short.
What is hyperbole? (NU. 2013)
Ans: A hyperbole is a figure of speech that employs rhetorical exaggeration for emphasis.
What is a “Carpe Diem Theme”? (NU. 2012) ✪✪✪
Ans: Carpe Diem derives from Latin, which, in English, means seize the opportunity by enjoying the present time and trusting the future as little as possible.
What is ‘Carpe Diem Theory? In which poem do you find it? (NU. 2014)
Ans: ‘Carpe Diem Theory’ is a theory that tells us to enjoy the present moment without worrying about the past and future. This theory is found in the poem “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell.
How is the lady committing a crime in “To His Coy Mistress”? (NU. 2014, 19) ✪✪✪
Ans: Showing her reluctance to make love, the lady is committing a crime.
Why does Marvell call his beloved a coy mistress? (NU. 2015)
Ans: Marvell calls his beloved a coy mistress because she hesitates to respond quickly to her lover’s advances.
Name a poem in your syllabus in which the syllogistic pattern is used. (NU. 2017)
Ans: “To His Coy Mistress.”
What does the phrase ‘Time’s winged chariot signify? (NU. 2012, 18) ✪✪✪
Ans: The fleeting nature of time and the shortness of human life.
Why does the lady hesitate to respond to her lover’s call? (NU. 2020)
Ans: Because of her shyness/coyness.
What is Marvell’s opinion about graves? (NU. 2018, 21) ✪✪✪
Ans: According to Marvell, a grave is a fine and private place where none can enjoy the pleasure of lovemaking.
What does the poet mean by the phrase “Vegetable Love’? (NU. 2013, 19, 21) ✪✪✪
Ans: By “vegetable love,” the poet means a kind of love that grows slowly and steadily, just like how plants and trees grow. He thinks that because his beloved is so shy, their love will not move fast but will last for thousands of years and keep getting bigger and stronger, just like a huge tree that spreads wider than an empire.
What is the nature of the poet’s love in the poem “The Definition of Love”? ✪✪✪
Ans: The poet and his beloved’s love is perfect and divine. As perfect love always remains unfulfilled, the poet regards it as the child of despair and impossibility.
What is the central theme of the poem “The Definition of Love”? ✪✪✪
Ans: Divine or true love means the union of two souls, but the separation of two bodies.
What figure of speech is used in the term ‘Magnanimous Despair’? (NU. 2015)
Ans: Oxymoron
What has prevented the union between the poet and his beloved in ‘The Definition of Love’? (NU. 2018) ✪✪✪
Ans: Fate.
How is the lover begotten in “The Definition of Love”? (NU. 2015, 17, 22) ✪✪✪
Ans: The poet says his love was born from Despair and Impossibility. Despair is like the father, and Impossibility is like the mother of his love.
How does Marvell define his utter frustration in love? (NU. 2020) ✪✪✪
Ans: The poet has defined his utter frustration in love as “Magnanimous Despair.”
How will the two lovers reunite, according to Marvell? (NU. 2021) ✪✪✪
Ans: The poet sees huge cosmic chaos. The world flattens like a pancake. This is when lovers can reunite.
What are the rivers mentioned in the poem “To His Coy Mistress”? (NU. 2017, 22) ✪✪✪
Ans: The Ganges in India and the Humber in England are referred to in the poem “To His Coy Mistress.”
Why does the poet call himself a ‘self-traitor”? (NU. 2015) ✪✪✪
Ans: Because though he wanted to start a new life, he brought into that garden of glory, his love, and his love was not completely pure.
What is the significance of Magnanimous Despair? (NU. 2016) ✪✪✪
Ans: The poet feels frustrated, but this has made him more generous and helped him see how special and pure love is. He calls his deep sadness “Magnanimous Despair,” which means a noble or great kind of sadness.
Why does the poet compare himself and his beloved to the amorous birds of prey? (NU. 2023)
Ans. The poet says they should love each other fiercely like passionate birds.