Marvell’s treatment of love with reference to his poems you have read.

Answer

 Describe how Andrew Marvell handles the theme of love in his poems.

Or, Critically comment on Marvell’s treatment of love with reference to his poems you have read. 

Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) was a famous metaphysical poet. In his poems, Marvell handles love in a very clever and thoughtful way. In “To His Coy Mistress,” he talks about physical love and the shortness of life. In “The Definition of Love,” he talks about spiritual love that cannot come true. In both poems, he mixes deep emotions (passion) with logical thinking (intellect). Here we take a closer look at Marvell’s treatment of love in his poems.

Love in “To His Coy Mistress”: In this poem, Marvell is talking to a shy lady (his “coy mistress”). He tries to convince her to enjoy love with him before it is too late. It is a “carpe diem” poem. At first, he says that if they had so much time, he would wait forever to praise her beauty and win her love. He would spend hundreds of years praising her eyes, breasts, and each part of her beauty. He says:

“An hundred years should go to praise

Thine eyes,…”

But then he changes the tone. He says that time is running fast. He hears “Time’s winged chariot hurrying near.” This means death is coming closer every minute. After death, there will be no more beauty or love. So, he says to his coy mistress that they should love each other now, while they are young. So, in this poem, Marvell suggests that life is short and we must enjoy love and life quickly, before time and death stop it. 

Love in “The Definition of Love”: This poem is about a very different kind of love. Here, the speaker says his love is deep and pure, but also painful. He says his painful love was born from “Despair” and “Impossibility.” This means his love