‘‘To His Coy Mistress’’ by Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) is a witty abstract poem. This poem is full of the concept of ‘carpe diem’- which can be decoded as seize the day and enjoy the present. The basic theme of the story is announced straight from the beginning, that time wastes your youth and life seems to pass you by so quickly so as a result, we should enjoy it now. Words such as ‘‘would’’ and ‘‘were’’ give the apprehensiveness in his style. The man articulates that coyness would be adequate if time was not in such short supply and if the world was big enough to house all of his admiration for her. ‘‘Had we but world enough and time. This coyness were no crime…’’
The second poem is
‘‘The Beggar Woman’’ by William King (1663-1712) is about a gentleman out ‘hunting’ with a group of friends who then decides to do another sort of hunting. The man then rode astray from his companions. The word astray can have two plausible meanings, roding astray morally, being lead the bad way and going a separate way, in this case from his hare pursuing group.
The poems are very different in their use of form and structure.
In ‘‘To His Coy Mistress’’ the form and structure varies from other standard poems. The poet tries to make it into a logical argument as much as possible by using a thesis, anti-thesis and synthesis. Words like ‘but’ and ‘therefore’ are used to reinforce this. Also, the poet makes it sound like a clinching watertight, argument by using this logical structure. Another point to do with the form and structure is the rhyming couplets located throughout the poem ‘‘…and your quaint honour turn to dust... And into ashes all my lust’ the overall effect of this is it almost uses symmetry, order and pattern to emphasise the faultlessness of his point and to give it finality. A metaphor is used, "My vegetable love should grow…Vaster than empires, and more slow." The first line makes the narrator's love a slow-growing vegetable more than specifically a In ‘‘The Beggar Woman’ the form and structure, unlike ‘‘To His Coy Mistress’’ it uses frequent prose and unromantic language to make it look like he is not directing or controlling her in any way.
Form and structure in ‘‘The Beggar Woman’’ is it is told like a story-prose. Also, it is in chronological order. ‘‘A gentleman in hunting rode astray…more by choice…’’The effect of this is it sets the scene and also makes it easier for the audience to visualise what is happening in an accurate way.
The poem also provides a good example of hyperbole. He selects a river, the India’s Ganges, which is sacred to the Hindu religion and thought of as the earthly representation of a goddess. ‘‘thou by the Indian Ganges side…should’st rubies find: I by the tide’’.This uses hyperbole because he deliberately exaggerates The River Ganges to show his intelligence and put an emphasis on it. In addition to this, with the chronological beginning it ends with a dramatic ending. This dramatic ending suggests a twist the audience may not suspect. ‘‘I trust this child with you’’. The effect of this is it contrasts with his smugness and satisfaction that he would get something out of this stranger of a woman.
Language and Imagery is manipulated in ‘‘To His Coy Mistress’’ as imagery from Greek mythology. ‘‘Times winged chariot hurrying near: …’’The effect of this is it symbolises morality in the times of Apollo and also time is personified to give it human like features. In ‘‘the Beggar Woman’’ Language and imagery is of a lighter tone and the reader can also visualise the deep love the speaker contains for this ‘coyness lady’ through the imagery. This quotation suggests this. ‘‘My vegetable should grow…’’
Tone and mood in ‘‘To His Coy Mistress’’ is light hearted and flattery at the beginning This quotation supports this point: ‘‘for lady you deserve this state…’’The effect of this is it was used to show respect by using the word ‘lady’ as it showed worship and adoration, also this man did not really want to blow his cover because he thought he was going to get what he wanted. Afterwards, he becomes a bit harsher in the way he speaks and much more demanding. ‘‘worms shall try that long presr’vd virginity’’ and ‘‘quaint honour turn to dust’’. The effect of this is he is trying to indicate that he has lost his temper and is only stating the facts of what will happen to her. In a way he is persuading her to go along with what he intended by saying that your ‘presev’rd virginity will not pay off for anything in the end. However, in ‘‘The Beggar Woman’’
