What role is played by fate in “The Definition of Love”?

Answer

What role is played by fate in “The Definition of Love”?

In “The Definition of Love” (1681), Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) talks about a love that is strong, deep, and pure, but it can never be fulfilled in the real world. The speaker says that Fate plays a very important role in keeping two perfect lovers apart. In this poem, Marvell personifies Fate as a woman. Fate is shown as a strong, jealous, and cruel power.

Fate Keeps True Love Apart: The speaker says his love was born from “Despair” and “Impossibility.” This means that his love is not ordinary. It is a rare kind of love that can never be fulfilled. He blames Fate for this sadness.

He says that Fate puts “iron wedges” between him and his beloved. These iron wedges are a symbol. They mean that Fate makes a strong wall between the two lovers, so they can never come close. Fate becomes jealous when it sees two perfect loves. So, Fate cannot allow them to come close to each other. As Marvell writes:

“For Fate with jealous eye does see

Two perfect loves, nor lets them close;”

Moreover, Fate fears that if the two lovers come closer, Fate will lose its power and be ruined. So, Fate stops their union.

Fate’s Cruel Decision: Fate keeps the lovers far away from each other, like the North Pole and South Pole.

“Us as the distant poles have plac’d”

Even though they love each other, they are always kept apart by Fate. So, they can never meet. Marvell says their love is “truly parallel.” Parallel lines go side by side forever but never touch.

In short, in this poem, Fate is shown as a jealous and powerful force. It does not allow perfect love to happen. The love between the speaker and his beloved is strong in the mind and heart, but Fate never lets them