“But at my back I always hear, time’s winged chariot hurrying near” is a famous phrase and is used in the second stanza to mark a change in the atmosphere. The speed up of pace, as the verse goes on, reveals desperation and anxiety that he might not get his own way after all. In contrast to the first stanza, where he used flattery as his weapon, the tone has changed dramatically. The harsh reality that their time is running out is clearly causing him great agitation and this comes across as threatening. Whether his motive is to frighten the lady or not, it certainly appears this way and his harmful use of manipulation becomes apparent when he says “worms shall try, that long preserved virginity, and your quaint honour turn to dust”. By saying this he completely mocks her side of the argument and tarnishes all the dignity and respect the Lady was defending. He implies that her virginity is not very important and leaves the reader in no doubt that he is being shallow.
However, in the third stanza he manages to turn the reader’s opinion around again. “And while thy willing soul transpires, at every pore with instant fires” is an example of how the poet uses powerful imagery to portray flesh and fire. His threats have now turned into encouragement and he uses a positive approach to woo his Lady. The poet uses imperative tenses to reflect this, for example when he says, “Now let us sport while we may, and now like amorous birds of prey”, he builds up a sense of urgency and passion once more and we can feel the love he is in inflicting again. The last of the rhyming couplets is left with open words. We are left wondering if the Lady will give into his wishes or not. The positive words used in the last few lines hint gently that the poet has won the argument, but nothing is made certain.
The characteristics used in “The Flea” are typical of metaphysical poetry. The writer uses conceits, arguments and obscure technology to persuade his mistress to sleep with him by overcoming her argument. However, the sentiment in this poem is very different from “To His Coy Mistress”. It is less romantic and the language and logic used by the speaker reflect that of a lawyer, not a lover. “Thou know’st that this cannot be said, a sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead” introduces a sense that the Lady’s virginity is not important. He uses a flea to describe their temple of love and address the closeness they already share. He talks about “two bloods mingled” and says that as the flea has bitten them both, then they have practically had sex anyway, as in the 17th century it was believed that when you had sex, bloods were mingled.
The sense of Donne’s mistress actually being present in the poem gave the argument a stronger sense of realism. She mocks his illusion of lives within this flea and threatens to kill it. “Though use makes you apt to kill me, let not to that, self murder added be, and sacrilege, three sins killing thee” is his retort, saying that if she kills the flea she kills all of them and destroys the temple of love.
However, the Lady ignores his pleas and goes ahead and kills it anyway. The argument is then turned round as the poet triumphs and instead of being angry, agrees with her. “Tis true, then learn how false, fears be; just so much honour when thou yield’st to me, will waste, as this flea’s death too life from thee”, he says as he portrays her as unable to compromise and takes to pieces her reasons for not sleeping with him. His point is a strong one in that the flea has died, and they are not hurt, so it will not hurt her if she loses her virginity but the sense of love isn’t there and the reader can’t help but not want her resist his rather cold idea of seduction.
By asking “Shall I compare thee to a Summers day?, the poet takes a customary tradition of the 17th century in which nature is used to compare the beloved, but questions it, and concludes that his loved one is actually better and summer is not that amazing. He uses conventional ideas, like the comparison between his beloved and nature throughout the poem and although it seems to be a general love poem, it turns out to be one which boasts of the poet’s skill. The fondness of which the poet feels for his loved one is very touching. He clearly holds them in high regard and shows feelings of love, devotion and compassion. For example “And every faire from faire some – time declines” reflects his feelings that every beauty fades, but states clearly that this person will not. While we are led to believe this is due to the inner beauty this person holds, an unforeseen twist shows us that actually this is because this poem will be famous so the beloved will be alive in every readers mind when he says “When in eternall lines to time thou grow’st, so long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee”.
This changes the feel of the poem. Although the love is still there, we sense a different awareness to the poet from the loving and affectionate one we once felt. He comes across proud and slightly arrogant about his work, and puts a different slant on what was once a conventional love poem.
In conclusion I think the 17th day reaction would have been entertaining and funny and therefore quite different to the reaction I would expect now. People today would find the poetry quite shocking and distasteful and they would not be considered politically correct. “To His Coy Mistress” is successful because it is entertaining, wheras “The Flea” is successful because it’s fascinating and slightly confusing at times. “Shall I compare thee” however is totally different because it has departed from it and the overall result was very successful. The poet went from delighting the audience then to twisting their opinions of him keeping them entertained.