Comparing Ideas and Images in Four Metaphysical Love Poems

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Comparing Ideas and Images in Four Metaphysical Love Poems

“To His Coy Mistress”, “The Fair Singer”, “Picture of Little T.C. in a Prospect of Flowers” by Andrew Marvell and “Sun Rising” by John Donne are all seventeenth century metaphysical love poems. They all contain similar styles and images in which they portray the messages they intend to get across, which give an insight into certain opinions and feelings of men towards women in that era.

All these poems talk about the beauty of the woman they are describing. In “The Fair Singer” he talks about “both beauties”, her appearance and her voice. He says “her voice my heart might bind” and “her voice might captivate my mind” making it seem as though the woman is a sorceress, out to entice men into loving her. It also shows that beauty and talent was highly thought of and sought after in a woman, as he does not even know this woman. In “the sun rising” he talks about his lover’s beauty, saying he “would not loose her sight so long” and even tells the sun that she is so amazing that maybe “her eyes have not blinded thine”, Showing how much adoration the man has for his lover. In “T.C.” he says that the plants “at thy beauty charm”, showing that beauty was considered charming, and he called her a “young beauty of the woods”, showing that now her beauty is untamed and young, but he imagines in a few years she will be a beautiful woman. In “His Coy Mistress” he says that he wishes he had “a hundred years should go to praise thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;” showing that he thinks that flattering the woman, will make her sleep with him. But he also talks of when she’s dead “Thy beauty shall no more be found” to make her think that she must make use of her beauty now.

This also shows these poems’ preoccupation with time. The 1600’s were a time when life expectancy was short. Lack of medical knowledge and plague caused many to die young. In “His Coy Mistress” this is the most prominent theme, as it is the narrator’s argument for the woman to sleep with him, because you never know how long you have left to live. He fanaticises that time does not exist and they have eternity to be together. “An hundred years should go to praise

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Thine eyes…an age at least to every part,” but he knows he does not have this time, and so must get on with things. He also talks of “time’s winged chariot hurrying near;” showing that he is afraid of not making the most of his time on earth before he dies.

        Little T.C. also shows the narrator’s fear of the children dying young. He wishes “That violets may a longer age endure” and that T.C. can live to become the woman he imagines “spare the buds

Lest Flora angry at thy crime…Nip in the blossom all our hopes and ...

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