Andrew Marvell’S “To His Coy Mistress”:
Submitted by alevel on January 22, 2009
- Category: English
- Words: 1179
- Pages: 5
- Views: 344
- Popularity Rank: 384
Andrew Marvell’S “To His Coy Mistress”:
Andrew Marvell’s speaker in “To His Coy Mistress” invokes Petrarchan
convention, a poetic mode originating in the fourteenth century in which a male lover
uses exaggerated metaphors to appeal to his female beloved. Yet Marvell alludes to such
excessive—and disempowering—pining only to defy this tradition of unrequited love.
Instead of respectful adulation, he offers lustful invitation; rather than anticipating
rejection, he assumes sexual dominion over the eponymous “mistress.” The poem is as
much a celebration of his rhetorical mastery as it is of his physical conquest. Through his
verbal artistry, the speaker—perhaps a...
You must Login to view the entire paper.
If you are not a member yet, Sign Up for free!