‘I would
Love you ten years before the Flood,
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jew.
My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires, and more slow;’
The language in the first stanza uses assonance such as
‘And the last age should show your heart’
He also uses alliteration such as:
‘We would sit down and think which way’
and
‘An age at least to every part’
He uses this in the poem to give it rhythm to engage the reader and make it easier for the reader to get a flow to the lyrical rhythm of the poem.
At the very beginning of the poem he uses the word crime straight the way to make her feel guilty and also that she kind of owes him something,
‘Had we but world enough, and time
This coy Lady, were no crime’
He uses a lot of exaggeration to project how much he really ‘wants’ her, to make her feel flattered, by telling her all the time he would spend on her and all the love he would give her and then telling her all of what’s he’s told her is the least he would do,
‘Nor would I love at lower rate’
That quote could also be perceived as metaphorically paying for what he wants.
The second stanza based on fear and persuading her by using strong and powerful images almost scares her into having sex with him. He uses the most powerful imagery of destruction, war,
‘Time’s winged chariot hurrying near;’
This quote also suggests the idea that, is love myth?
He makes references to the desert suggesting that it’s a barren place, deserted and lonely, he compares this to her not wanting to have sex, implying that there relationship would be dull like the desert and that barren like the desert she would have no children,
‘And yonder all before us lie
Desert of vast eternity’
He uses the shocking images of the idea of a worm as a penis that takes her virginity in her grave when she’s dead, making her think about if she leaves it till she is old or dead that he will not be there to sympathise and the worms will be the only thing that benefits from her dead, virgin body,
‘Thy beauty shall no more be found,
Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
My echoing song; then worms shall try
That long preserved virginity’
He mentions her ‘quaint honour’ and makes out that her honour is something silly or trivial, he make outs that all her morals and honour is all very nice and respectable but it doesn’t mean anything to him, quaint is also a word for her genitals back in the 17th century and in the same sentence he says that if she doesn’t use her genitals for any good they might as well turn to dust,
‘And your quaint honour turn to dust,
And into ashes all my lust’
He tells her that if she doesn’t do it with him right there right now that the grave is the only place she is ever going to receive ‘love’, this is quite shocking as the grave is symbolised as a place of rest and peace and is a religious place of harmony,
‘The grave’s a fine and private place,
But none, I think, do there embrace’
The language in the second stanza has lots of double meanings such as ‘grave’ meaning a place you embrace when you’re dead and also meaning serious. The stanza is also full of puns, such as ‘quaint honour’ this could mean the respect she has for her virginity and herself or it could mean silly, that all her beliefs meaningless. The desert is also used to describe an empty place such as the Sahara implying she will end up like this if she doesn’t do it now.
The final stanza is the most intense; this could be looked upon as the last hope and the most desperate and most persuasive.
He tells her that deep down that she wants this as well in her soul, that her heart is truly willing and that she knows deep down that he is right,
‘Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
And while thy willing soul transpires’
He also tells her that she should grab opportunities while she is young and that whilst they are both young and full of life’s passion to not waste a good thing while it’s being offered to her,
‘Now therefore, while the youthful hue
Sits on the skin like morning dew,’
At times in the third stanza he tells her bluntly that he wants to have sex with her and passionate,
‘And now, like amorous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour’
And
‘And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Though the iron gates of life’
The word ‘devour in the first quote is implying that she should just do it and not think about it, also the first quote is suggesting that they will be special. The second quote he is indicating he needs to break her down, soften her up and make her fall into his way of thinking.
He makes a point of telling her that time cant be defeated and so lets make the best of the time we have,
‘Thus, thought we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run’
He has used a clever pun by using the word ‘sun’ in the last quote, it could mean he can’t stop the passing time and also could mean ‘son’ e.g. make a baby that will be able to run.
Andrew Marvell repeats the word ‘now’ in the last stanza to project the urgency of the young mans needs and that he wants this woman for her to make love to immediately,
‘Now therefore, while the youthful hue’
‘Now let us sport us while we may’
‘And now, like amorous birds of prey’
As well as the use of the word ‘now’ he uses the word ‘instant’ this is a good word to use for immediate attention for his thirst to sleep with the young woman.
‘At every pore with instant fires’
The rhythm quickens in this stanza this shows his desperation and instant need for her passion.
I love this poem it has great persuasive language, double meaning and intense metaphorical use. I really like the way Andrew Marvell has split the poem into three parts to make distinct difference between the emotions the young man is going through to persuade the woman. I really like the second stanza because it shows the mans true colours about the way he feels, I think from what he says here the woman you can tell he just wants her for sex and that he really doesn’t respect her morals or even respect her heart.
I really don’t think this man is successful because he doesn’t give the woman anything that he’s told her, he has just made promises and has judged this woman by thinking she will be easily persuaded with out really knowing her.
The poem is trying to pursue the importance that life is short and make the most of what you are given but also that words and promises aren’t worth anything with out trust and respect. It also suggests that you should stick by your beliefs and do not betray your own morals because you could be giving them up for nothing in return, just like, if the young woman did decide to have sex with the man then she will be left hurt and used with no pride in saying that she stuck by her guns.
