Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress

Part I of Essay
The seventeenth century was an era of beautiful poetry. Two poets in particular, Andrew Marvell and John Donne, wrote carpe diem poetry full of vivid imagery and metaphysical conceits. Each conveyed the message of “living for the now.” This message can be clearly seen in ....

Part II of Essay
.... them. This theme relates to all aspects of life, not just sex. The rhyme scheme follows a standard AA, BB, CC, etc., couplet pattern. A few of the lines are irregular however. Lines 23 and 24 rhyme “lie” with “eternity,” and lines 27 and 28 rhyme “try” with “virginity.” It is interesting to not that lie rhymes with try, just as eternity rhymes with virginity. Marvell used this technique to change up the systemic flow of the rest of the poem. By highlighting these two couplets, the symbolism of those lines strikes the reader with gr ....