“Had we but world enough, and time,” (Line 1.)
Already we are beginning to see that Marvell’s poem is one of lust, not true love.
From line one of ‘Sonnet’ it is apparent that Elizabeth-Barrett-Browning is deeply in love with her husband.
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” (Line 1.)
The rhetorical question that opens the emotional poem shows just how much she loves her husband as she is actually putting in doubt and questioning her own, strong feelings. From the very start of the sonnet, the poet reflects on love.
The first part of ‘Sonnet’ goes into great detail of how Elizabeth-Barrett-Browning has loved him, and how she does love him at the time of the poem being written.
“I love thee to depth and breadth and height.” (Line 2.)
Indicates these feelings to us by using these measures.
Unlike in ‘To His Coy Mistress,’ the poet can only begin to try
and put into words how strongly she feels for her husband. Already, we can see a much more tense attitude to love, which is helped by the iambic pentameter structure that gives the sincere sonnet a song-like feel; creating a more heartfelt atmosphere than in ‘To His Coy Mistress.’
Furthermore, Elizabeth Barrett-Browning adds to her reflection of how life and love has been by claiming that she loves her husband completely, all of the time.
“My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight,” (Line 3.)
This quote gives us the idea that she loves her husband when she cannot see him, an indication of a deeper sort of love in ‘Sonnet’ than in ‘To His Coy Mistress’ as Andrew Marvell does not discuss how he feels about the woman when they are not together.
“I love thee to the level of every day’s Most quiet need, by sun and
candle-light.” (Lines 5 – 6.)
This is evidence that Elizabeth Barrett-Browning’s love is unconditional and that, also, she loves him all day, every day.
It now becomes apparent that there is a clear difference between both poems after looking at the opening lines.
‘Sonnet’ explores an attitude towards love which is a stronger and more complete than in ‘To His Coy Mistress.’ This is mainly because Marvell indicates that he does not love, but admires; and Barrett-Browning adores her husband in every respect.
Line twenty-one of ‘To His Coy Mistress’ changes the entire feeling of the poem. Andrew Marvell basically begins to introduce the idea of life being too short to love the woman properly after his long description of how he would in the first part of the poem.
“But at my back I always hear Time’s winged chariot hurrying near;” (Lines 21 – 22.)
These lines point out that the poet does not have enough time to love her how he would like to.
Marvell then goes on to express his thoughts about love ending after death.
“And yonder all before us lie Deserts of vast eternity.” (Lines 23 – 24.)
There is a feeling at this point that the poem is not religious and, also, that Andrew Marvell is not at all serious about his love for the woman.
After these four lines it becomes very clear that the poet does not have a thoughtful or spiritual attitude towards love in ‘To His Coy Mistress.’
On the other hand, in Elizabeth Barrett-Browning’s ‘Sonnet,’ there is a strong sense of religious related love throughout the poem.
“In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.” (Line 10.)
Indicates to us that unlike ‘To His Coy Mistress,’ this poem shows a belief of love after death and therefore, again, paints a much more passionate and life-long image of true love. Quotes such as:
“I love thee purely,” (Line 8,)
This Shows us a different, spiritual attitude towards love in highly religious ‘Sonnet,’ that is different to the fun outlook discussed in Marvell’s ‘To His Coy Msitress.’
Another difference in the attitude towards love in the poems is the sexual view.
‘To His Coy Mistress,’ presents a sexual lust from a male point of view creating a less serious attitude towards love.
“My echoing song; then worms shall try That long preserv’d virginity,” (Lines 27 – 28.)
These lines show us that Andrew Marvell would like to take the woman’s virginity, and therefore indicates that this poem is about lust, not love like ‘Sonnet.’
Elizabeth Barrett-Browning does not mention sex once in her sonnet. This, again, helps us to see that she is clearly not interested in the physical side of love and is concentrating on the emotional aspects.
This difference makes it obvious that ‘To His Coy Mistress’ is exploring a totally different and physical side of love than ‘Sonnet.’ This could be because the poets are of different sex.
The third and final part of ‘To His Coy Mistress’ is the main sign of the poem being a carpe diem.
After discussing how he would like to love the woman and then going on to express his views that there is not enough time to do any of this; Andrew Marvell concludes the poem by displaying a shameless desire for sex with the lady.
“Now let us sport while we may;” (Line 37.)
Shows us how the poet is trying to persuade the woman to sleep with him, and seize the moment.
“And now, like am’rous birds of prey,” (Line 38.)
This quote tatters any remaining images of Marvell loving the young woman properly as it is at this point that he goes into detail of how he would like to sleep with her – in total, illustrating a needing and unromantic view towards love, the idea of Marvell just wanting sex lingering in our minds.
The second and last part of Elizabeth Barrett-Browning’s ‘Sonnet’ basically describes, using strong and meaningful vocabulary, how her
never-ending love will remain eternal.
“I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;” (Line 7.)
This strong simile tells us that the poet feels her love is Right and skilfully compares her love to striving men.
“I shall love thee better after death.” (Line 14.)
The final line shows us that the poet will love her husband forevermore, unlike ‘To His Coy Mistress.’
All in all, the language creates a different attitude towards love in each of the poems. ‘To His Coy Mistress’ almost pokes fun at love by using language that is not very meaningful.
“And your quaint honour turn to dust,” (Line 29.)
This line portrays that Marvell, by playing with words and their meanings, (quaint,) he does not take love seriously at all.
Additionally, the poet uses vocabulary that almost paints a picture of humour in the poem. For example:
“The grave’s a fine and private place, But none I think do there embrace.”
(Lines 31 -32.)
However, ‘Sonnet,’ is the total opposite in terms of language used. Elizabeth Barrett-Browning uses terminology that is very strong and this has an important effect on the whole attitude of love displayed in the sonnet.
Unlike ‘To His Coy Mistress,’ the poem consists of grave and momentous language that adds to the tenseness of ‘Sonnet.’
“I love thee with the passion put to use,” (Line 9.)
This quote is an example of powerful language that creates a more intense, lyric sonnet which has an attitude that is much more serious than that explored in ‘To His Coy Mistress.’
In conclusion, ‘To His Coy Mistress’ by Andrew Marvell displays a view towards love which is more of a sexual lust… a carpe diem that shows his hunger and interest of sexual intercourse with the woman. It is clear that Marvell does not have enough time to love the lady properly, and the language and structure of the poem creates an overall humorous and fun attitude towards love.
‘Sonnet,’ however, uses a structure and vocabulary that explores the unconditional great depth of Elizabeth Barrett-Browning’s true love. It is apparent in the sonnet that she has all the time in the world for her husband.
As a result, ‘Sonnet’ has a more serious, religious and romantic attitude towards love compared to fun ‘To His Coy Mistress.’
