Through the use of a conditional, "Had we but world enough, and time," Marvell shows us how the speaker is encouraging the object of the poem and being optimistic toward their future together, shown though the use of the personal pronoun, we. This is effective, as the woman would think of themselves as united and involved with each other, which would show support and love, also showing false sincerity. Through the use of time in the quotation, he brings up Carpe Diem again, showing how he is pressuring the woman into sexual relations.
There are many sentences, which span over two lines, using enjambment, which helps the poem to flow over the two lines. This adds continuity, which as it keeps the flow going, can prevent the reader from seeing the underlying imagery or message. Marvell's use of short sentences helps to get straight to the point and it also makes the reader read the poem faster. This aids the overall message of the poem because Marvell wants to get her into bed quickly, and by using many punctuation marks, he can show his intentions in more than just words.
By referring to the mistress as being beside "the Indian Ganges' side," the speaker compares her to an exotic place. He then places himself beside the River Humber in Hull. The comparison of these two places is effective as it puts the object upon a pedestal and again shows false sincerity. The speaker then talks about rubies that are found on the side of the Ganges. This would create another level of flattery as she is being compared to something very beautiful that would be treasured. This helps to show the woman what he would do for her if they had time to fall in love. The effect of the imagery is to bring the subject and reader outside the immediate moment and into ancient history and beyond. Through this, the speaker tries to show how he will love for as long as he possibly can, into the past and into the future.
When the speaker writes;
"…I would
Love you ten years before the Flood;
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews."
He is saying how he will never stop loving her, as he loved her before the Flood and until after the conversion of the Jews, which is not said to happen until the end of the world. Therefore, the speaker is saying how he has loved the women since before time began and he will love her after time as well. This would have been effective, as the woman would probably want some kind of relationship going before giving her virginity up, almost as a reward.
"My vegetable love shall grow
Vaster then empires and more slow."
Through the use of sexual connotations in the quotations, we can see how Marvell writes about the speaker's true intentions. Although they are not obvious to begin with, they become more so as the poem is read, which would be effective as the Mistress would probably not see the underlying message, giving the speaker a chance to sleep with her. Through the use of empires are a metaphor for their love, the speakers says how he would take their love slow, and how it would grow extremely large like the British Empire at the time. This is effective as it displays love and false sincerity. The word "slow" both links to the relationship and the empires. Because it takes time to build an empire, he says how it should take them time to build a good intimate relationship before she has to give up her virginity.
Marvell uses hyperbole to exaggerate how long he will love the woman by spending a long time admiring different parts of her body.
"A hundred years should go to praise
Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
Two hundred to adore each breast,"
This quotation shows that his interest in her is purely sexual, as he is focusing on her body rather than her personality, and he cares more about her appearance than her personality going against everything else he said in the stanza. He uses great lengths of time that are used to flatter her on how long he could look at her body. They are ridiculous lengths of time however, which can show the insincerity of his feelings.
"For, lady, you deserve this state,
Nor would I love at lower rate."
Here, the speaker is saying how the woman deserves the best of everything, especially his love and also it shows the women the least that he will do for her, which is effective in that she would be able to see how little he will do to keep her happy.
The second stanza is the antithesis, the pivotal point of the poem in which he stops flattering her and begins to threaten her and be manipulative.
"But at my back I always hear
Time's winged chariot hurrying near"
This quotation is a personification of Time as the Greek God, Apollo, the God of the Sun. This represents days going by and missing what you want to do, if you waste them, bringing up Carpe Diem again. This helps to persuade the woman as she sees how time could be just behind her back. There is a manipulative tone, which comes through on the "but," which is also the pivotal word of the poem.
When the speaker uses the quotation;
"And yonder all before use lie
Deserts of vast eternity."
It can be seen in many different ways. Desserts are huge and barren; they seem endless. He is saying how if she does not sleep with him, her life will become like a barren desert. In addition, nothing can grow in a desert, so he is suggesting that she may be infertile, making her a less suitable wife. Because of the sands in deserts, it could be linked to a sand timer, indicating her ebbing away life and in turn, her chance of finding a husband.
"…then worms shall try
That long preserv'd virginity,
And your quaint honour turn to dust,
And into ashes all my lust."
This quotation is a contradiction of his point in the previous stanza by saying how after she is dead, no one will love her not even him and that her virginity will be taken by worms, instead of a man as no one but the worms could bear to look at her. He also mentions how everything she will have protected will turn to dust and become something worthless and that even he will not lust after her.
During the whole of this stanza, the speaker is trying to scare his mistress into seeing the worst-case scenario, but especially in the last two lines of stanza two.
"The grave's a fine and private place,
But none I think do there embrace."
In these two lines, there is a bitter ironic tone, in which the speaker is saying how if she want to keep her virginity, she can, but she might as well go to her grave early because she will remain that way forever as no one will love her in the grave. He is being extremely insulting, and also threatening.
In the final stanza, Marvell begins with the words, "Now therefore." This is effective as it concludes the poem in which Marvell sums up both side of the argument. He uses persuasive mind control; begins by flattering her, and then he breaks her down with insults and fear, before restoring her hope by giving her a simple solution that they could share. He black mails her in a way that she almost does not see that he has done that. The message is hidden under puns and rhyme.
"And while thy willing soul transpires
At every pore with instant fires,"
Through the use of the sexual connotation, the speaker shows his mistress the passion that would come from them being together. He uses dynamic verbs to introduce the impression that they are moving forward out of the fear of time catching up with them, and into a place where they are together.
The final lines of the poem have much effect on the reader, brining then into a state of closure.
"Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run."
The play on words of "sun" implies the thought of children, which would first need marriage, perhaps further persuading the women of the idea that they can spend their lives together. It could also mean that even though they cannot stop time they will make him chase them and that they will not just wait for him to age them.
Then the use of the collective "we" would continue to introduce the plan of togetherness into the mistress' mind.
In "Sonnets from the Portuguese" (also sometimes known as "How do I love thee?") Elizabeth Barrett-Browning speaks of all the ways she loves her husband-to-be. She uses religious connotations and repetition of love helps us to see how deep her feelings go.
Barrett-Browning's poem is a Petrachan Sonnet, with a very strict rhyme scheme. It is fourteen lines long, with an octave with a question, and then a sestet with a response. The octave draws analogies between the poet's love and the religious and political beliefs of the time, with the sestet providing the links. The strict rhyme scheme could be linked to how Barret-Browning's love for her husband will never change and will remain the same throughout. The slower pace of the poem could show how her love must take a slower pace and how she would not be able to rush things no matter how much she loves him. In direct contrast, Marvell's poem is all about grabbing the day, Carpe Diem and having no time to take things slow.
Unlike "To His Coy Mistress," this poem is written from a completely female point of view, which essentially affects the whole of the poem. To begin with, the poem has a much more sentimental feel that Marvell's. Barret-Browning talks about her soul and passion but not in a sexual way, instead in a deeply emotional way. This is also evident in the fact that Barret-Browning uses the phrase, "I love thee…" eight times in a fourteen-line poem, making it almost overly sentimental.
The title "Sonnet's From the Portuguese" could relate to how Robert Browning called his wife, "My Little Portuguese" however the poem's alternate title, "How Do I Love Thee?" creates more impression. As it is a question, it grabs the reader's attention and draws them into the poem.
It begins with a rhetorical question; "How do I love thee?" (Also a repetition of the alternate title.) This begins the questioning of her love and engages the reader who is interested by the question and want to know the answer them self. She then responds with "Let me count the ways." Implying that there are so many, she cannot just name one. This is very flattering.
She uses real measurements to describe her love, showing her genuine attitude;
"I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach…"
Unlike Marvell's uses of inordinate lengths of time, Barret-Browning uses these measurements to full effect, after going on to talk about how it will be her soul that reaches these lengths. It is a spiritual measurement, but it makes the love seem real.
She continues to talk about ways that she will love her husband, saying how she will love him for everyday needs,
"I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle light."
This is effective as it gives another level to her sincerity as she does not need a special occasion to love him, and does not need to have a reason for loving him.
Barret-Browning uses her past to show her husband how much he means to her, telling him,
"I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith."
She is telling him that she loves him with the same intensity as she mourned her family with. When she lost her family, she began to lose faith in God, and he has replaced that faith with his love.
She uses connotations of marriage to display her deep, sincere love for her husband-to-be.
"I love thee with the breath,
smiles, tears, of all my life!"
This is similar to wedding vows as she is saying how she will love him with every part or her life, and during the best and worst parts of it.
She was very religious and this is clear in the poem,
"and, if God choose,
I shall love thee better after death."
This is a striking contrast to Marvell's poem as Barret-Browning is saying how she will love her husband better after she dies, if they are in heaven together and makes death seem like a hopeful thing. Whereas, "To His Coy Mistress" is all about giving up after death, with no mention of heaven and the fact that no one will love each other after death.
Andrew Marvell and Elizabeth Barret-Browning show different attitudes towards love and relationships through different uses of their lives and how long it would take them to fall in love.
Marvell's poem, whilst perhaps quiet pleasant on the surface, is, in fact, full of crude sexual connotation and threats. Whereas Barret-Browning has brought all of her love forward to tell her husband how she feels. Her poem shows the intensity of Barret-Browning's love for her husband-to-be whilst writing and links it back to her past and her real experiences to prove her love, where as Marvell give past event in myth to prove his love, perhaps not as convincing.
Although this may have been effected by their genders and poetic groups, "Sonnets from the Portuguese" seems like a more genuine, sincere and flattering poem with much nicer imagery. "To His Coy Mistress" seems to be full of sex and manipulation and does not seem to have the same effect on the reader.