The second stanza shifts from a blazon approach to the carpe diem argument. There is a clear sense of urgency; he feels that time is constantly running out, which is signified by his lack of hyperbole, instead opting for more quick – paced, uncontrived statements such as ‘thy beauty shall no more be found’, reinforcing this constant idea that each day wasted is simply one day closer to death; that they should not waste their time engaging in mere conversation, keeping her ‘long – preserved virginity’ when time is not on their side. Again, the image of time is present here; ‘And yonder all before us lie Deserts of vast eternity’, but rather than an idyllic life, it is a negative, lifeless ‘eternity’, this rejection of the afterlife widely represents the increasing religious scepticism at the time.
The final stanza reverts back to the theme of the first, only this time referring to the incomprehensible movements of heaven, which, according to Marvell, can be changed by him and his lover, intent that they need not fall victims to the predator that is time, but instead hunt it down like ‘amorous birds of prey’. This stanza introduces the first real example of passion; ‘And while thy willing soul transpires At every pore with instant fires’, with his speech becoming much more positive and the ‘threats’ of the second stanza seem to disappear, further adding to this urgent, almost frenzied, attitude; desperately trying to convince his lover that if they unite they can ‘break through’ the gates of time; devouring time rather than let it devour them.
The poem is written in rhyming couplets throughout, which is a key feature of the poem as it further emphasises Marvell’s urgency throughout the poem; trying to convince the woman he loves that, although they cannot make the sun ‘stand still’, they can indeed still ‘make him run’. Despite Marvell’s obvious disdain for the inevitable fact that time will eventually overcome them, he turns this around and instead uses the concept of time to praise and flatter her; ‘A hundred years should go to praise Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze, Two hundred to adore each breast, But thirty thousand to the rest; An age at least to every part, And the last age should show your heart.’ On the surface, To His Coy Mistress could be construed as a shallow poem about a man simply trying to seduce his ‘mistress’, however, the underlying message is made clear through Marvell’s witty parody of conventional structure, combined with his hyperbole and imagery, that he is convincing his lover that life is short, and it is better to enjoy each day as it comes rather than let yourself fall victim to time.
William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73 is a poem focused on the ravages of time; not only on one’s physical being, but, most importantly, the mental anguish that is caused by moving swiftly through life; time rapidly passing you by, growing further and further away from youth, and drawing ever nearer to the inevitable: death. The poet is inexorably moving from the autumn of his life and fast approaching his own ‘winter’, urging his friend to comprehend the brevity of life and to try to hold onto his youth and passion for as long as possible, before he too falls victim to the depredation of time.
The poem is a Shakespearean sonnet and has an ABAB rhyming scheme, with the linear development of the three quatrains reflecting the poet’s insecurities that his friend is only concerned with his physical deterioration. In the first quatrain, Shakespeare compares himself to the period of time between autumn and winter, stuck in a kind of limbo where ‘yellow leaves, or none, or few do hang’, emphasizing this image that his life has come down to simply waiting for the inevitable to occur. The second quatrain sees Shakespeare compare himself to ‘the twilight of such day’, where his life will soon be extinguished by the ‘black night’. Followed by the third quatrain in which Shakespeare reveals he is in fact not speaking of his impending physical death, but instead the death of his youth; his passion; his links to the very thing their relationship was based upon. The sonnet finishes with the rhyming couplet, desperately trying to convince him to make the most of his youth, and ‘love that well which thou must leave ere long’.
The Twa Corbies is a ballad concerning two crows which are about to eat a knight who has just been killed. The recurring theme throughout this poem is that, in life, social status means everything, in death, it means absolutely nothing, leaving you as nothing but food for crows. This idea presents the debate over the brevity of life, exploring the notion that, in comparison with nature, human life is insignificant, merely a brief sneeze of time. The crows are given direct speech from the outset, further reinforcing the image of nature overruling human existence, combined with the unchanging rhyme and rhythm. The insignificance of humans is emphasized by the corbies display of contempt when discussing ‘him’, but when referring to him as a meal, they hold him in high regard.
Each poem shares the same message; life is far too short to waste worrying about trivial things, and instead should embrace life, take each day as it comes and cherish your youth, before it is taken from you.