Andrew Marvell and the Metaphysical Poem. Considered by many to be his most famous poem, To His Coy Mistress was probably written in the early 1650s

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        Many of the literary works from the period after the Elizabethan Age are known as metaphysical poems. The name was coined by poet and critic Samuel Johnson to describe a group of British lyrical poets of the 17th century who shared interests in the investigation of metaphysical concerns and the use of inventive metaphor. The poets were never formally affiliated, and most never met – but were influenced by the modernization of England after Elizabeth, the new sciences, and the social and political issues that somewhat characterized the 18th century. The style was characterized by wit, far-fetched similes or metaphors (for example, Andrew Marvell’s comparison of the soul with a drop of dew), simple verse with complex stanzas, and in a way, a combination of dissimilar images that are not unpleasant to the modern ear, but were quite outrageous at the time (Reid).

        Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) was one such poet; and also a Member of Parliament and social critic. Unlike some of the other metaphysical poets, he was a colleague and friend of John Milton, and began writing poems that celebrated the political and social life of the Court while he was still in school. His friendship with Milton allowed him to be attached to Oliver Cromwell’s political sphere, and in 1659 was elected to Parliament, where he remained as a vocation until his death. Often, he would satirize and criticism his political enemies in poetry, sly enough as to not be considered libelous, but plain enough to make a point. His style was elegant, quite witty, and used events of the time, public and personal, as inspiration; In fact, many of his poems were not even published until after his death, through the machinations of his housekeeper and potential lover, Mary Palmer (Smith).

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        Considered by many to be his most famous poem, To His Coy Mistress was probably written in the early 1650s, when Marvell was the tutor to the daughter of retired commander St. Thomas Fairfax. It is one of the best examples of the carpe diem poem in the English language, meaning to seize the day, or make the most of the time one has. Having been read by students for centuries as an example of the metaphysical poem, some scholarly materials now point to the way ambiguous metaphors and suspicious irony make the poem farm more complex on the subject of ...

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