Compare and Contrast "To His Coy Mistress"
By Andrew Marvell
With "To His Mistress Going To Bed"
By John Donne.
"To His Coy Mistress" and " To His Mistress Going to bed" are two poems that feature "carpe diem"; they are also written by two of the most well known metaphysical poets. Andrew Marvell, the author of "To His Coy Mistress" and John Donne, the writer of "To His Mistress Going To Bed". Both poems were written through the 16th and 17th Century, where love and sex were describe as two different things. 16th and 17th century attitudes to love and relationship were much stricter than in the 21st Century, as wealthy men who wished to court a woman, would need to use the convention of writing a letter or a poem to try and win her over. This is precisely what these poems are about. Each man is trying to bed women, using their poetry. Their poems are more about sex, rather than love or romance. Using their metaphysical ways, they used their sexual images and witty conceits, to try and seduce the woman in question. In the 21st Century, it is not recommended for a man to take such action in doing so. Also in the 16th and 17th Century, woman was expected to be virgins until a chosen time. It was also unheard of for woman to have children out of wedlock, and if it did occur, then the woman would be seen as an outcast. Although in the 21st Century, it is more common if a woman has a child out of wedlock, she still could be seen as an outcast. Both men take a different way in choosing how to seduce the woman, but both take the same thought in the process, "To bed the woman". Throughout time, the way of having sexual ways with each other, has changed
Throughout this essay, I will be explaining the different and similarities, between these two poems " To His Coy Mistress" and " To His Mistress Going To Bed".
Throughout these two poems an extensive use of flattery is used, to persuade the women, to have sex with them. They use flattery as it makes the women feel comfortable with them. Each poet refers to their women using jewels, making the woman feel rich and exquisite. In John Donne's poem, " Jems which you women use are like Atlanta's balls, cast in mens views, that when a fools ...
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Throughout this essay, I will be explaining the different and similarities, between these two poems " To His Coy Mistress" and " To His Mistress Going To Bed".
Throughout these two poems an extensive use of flattery is used, to persuade the women, to have sex with them. They use flattery as it makes the women feel comfortable with them. Each poet refers to their women using jewels, making the woman feel rich and exquisite. In John Donne's poem, " Jems which you women use are like Atlanta's balls, cast in mens views, that when a fools eye lighteth on Jem." Donne could be referring to the lady in the poem or he could just be using this phrase as an act of imagery. It is an illusion to a suitor who in a race (Atlanta-Goddess), cast golden balls to delay her, but in this poem the sex is reversed. "Should'st rubies find: I by the tide of Humber would complain." was written in Andrew Marvell's poem. He uses this to get her into the mood, giving her luxurious images.
Donne and Marvell each use exaggeration in their poems, though Donne's is more believable than Marvell. " A hundred years should go to praise thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze." taken from Marvell's poem. "How blest am I in this discovering thee! To enter in these bonds, is to be free". I think that the fact that Donne's is more believable, it makes the woman feel moved loved and appreciates.
Each poem has imagery, which sets a romantic setting to their poems. Marvell talks about the Indian Ganges, "Thou by the Indian Ganges", he uses this to get her into the mood of having sex with him. Donne uses it when the woman is releasing her gown, "Your gown going off, such beauteous state reveals, as when from flowry meads th'hills shadowe steals".
Both refer to sexual imagery, talking about their erections that their women give them. Donne speaks of his as an enemy, "The foe oft-times having the foe in sight, is tir'd with standing though he never fight" meaning, he hates what she does to him though he would never fight to stop it. Marvell uses a metaphor to explain his. "My vegetable love grow", refers to his erection as a vegetable growing. A vegetable only grows when it is being cared for and loved, therefore, in his state he is being cared for.
Both poets make reference to the women's virginity. Though in Marvell's it is more obvious than in Donne's poem.
Each poet uses a rhyming scheme. Marvell uses AA, BB
"And your quaint honour turn to dust:
And into ashes all my lust"
Donne also uses the AA, BB pattern.
"Come, Madam, come, all rest my powers defie,
Until I labour, I in labour lie."
The affect of having rhyming couplets is that it gives the poems a different pace.
Though these poems have many similarities, they have many differences too. One of the more obvious differences is the time in which these poems were written in. Being written in different centuries allows the poems to have the difference in languages. "Come Madam, come, all rest my powers defie" John Donne's poem. We now use defy. Also in Marvell's poem he talks about sport with the woman, sport meaning sex.
The woman in Donne's poem is giving herself to Donne, whereas in Marvell's poem she is playing hard to get. Which probably accounts for the difference in the mood and tone of the two poems. Donne's poem supports, a more caring, reassuring, romantic mood to the poem and a calm tone, whereas Marvell's poem supports a mixed feeling mood, but you can tell that he is getting annoyed at playing the game, that the woman is playing with him. It even stretches as far as saying " Then worms shall try that long-preserved virginity." He is mixing pleasant imagery with imagery of death. The tone, he uses is somewhat harsh, as he is not getting what he wants.
Andrew Marvell is more to the point, he wants something and he'll get it, he won't start to beg her. Donne's poem goes into the beauty of having this woman with him at this moment in time. Donne is more sincere and passionate to his woman that Marvell, by using his believable exaggeration. " How blest am I in this discovering thee!" Whereas Marvell is more cocky and witty. "Now let us sport is while we may: and now, like amorous birds of prey". He is talking about sex, and how he wishes to have it with the woman.
The each use a different beat, Marvell's poem suit's a simple octosyllasic couplet. It is centring the poem on time. Donne's poem is an iambic pentameter. This gives it a slow pace, as if it is savouring the moment.
In conclusion, after reading both poems, I discovered that I enjoyed reading Donne's poem more than Marvell's. I found both poems an interesting read, because over 500 years, love has changed. You would not find a man living in the 21st Century, writing poetry and letters to a woman, he wishes to bed. I think that this was a very romantic way of doing this. The reason why I enjoyed Donne's poem is because it was sincere and passionate. Marvell's being cool, witty and somewhat threatening. Both poets live up to their metaphysical ways on these poems, with their imagery, similes, metaphors, alliteration, repetition and sexually explicit words.
Danielle Yeates 10BN
