To His Coy Mistress Group

Question:

jennica
jennica
Student
High School - 12th Grade

What evidence indicates that "To His Coy Mistress" is a carpe diem poem?

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Posted by jennica on Friday May 16, 2008 at 9:53 AM and tagged with carpe diem, themes, to his coy mistress.

Answers:


  1. gbeatty Teacher
    College - Freshman

    eNotes Editor

    Many elements in the poem indicate that the speaker is urging his beloved to seize the day. Look, for example, at the first two lines:

    "Had we but world enough, and time,
    This coyness, lady, were no crime."

    This says IF we had all the time, you could be coy.


    Then look at the start of the second stanza:

     

    "But at my back I always hear
    Time's winged chariot hurrying near…"

    But we don’t have all the time, he's saying. Not only is our time limited, he feels and hears it rushing on. Therefore, the third stanza says, let's make love while we're still alive.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/his-coy-mistress-salem/his-coy-mist...

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    Posted by gbeatty on Friday May 16, 2008 at 10:32 AM


  2. linda-allen Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The Latin phrase carpe diem is most often translated into English as "seize the day." In other words, live life to the fullest; stop and smell the roses; make the best of every day. Don't wait for tomorrow--do it today. So a carpe diem poem would be one that expresses these ideas.

    Most scholars would say that "To His Coy Mistress" is the best example of a carpe diem poem. In it, the speaker is telling his lady love that if they had all the time in the world, her coyness (or shyness or reluctance) would be okay. But time is slipping away. They will not be young forever, so now is the time to express their love. As he says:

    Let us roll all our strength and all
    Our sweetness up into one ball,
    And tear our pleasures with rough strife
    Thorough the iron gates of life:
    Thus, though we cannot make our sun
    Stand still, yet we will make him run.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/his-coy-mistress-salem/his-coy-mist...
    http://www.enotes.com/his-coy-mistress-salem/his-coy-mist...

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    Posted by linda-allen on Friday May 16, 2008 at 10:43 AM

  3. pmiranda2857
    pmiranda2857 Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

         

    This part of the poem tells the lady what will happen to both of them before too long.  Soon they will be no more, just ashes in a tomb.  If she holds onto to her honor for too long, it will die with her, therefore, she should embrace his love and submit.

    Seize the day before it is too late! 

    "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, And your quaint honour turn to dust, And into ashes all my lust"

    Sources:
    http://www.netpoets.com/classic/poems

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    Posted by pmiranda2857 on Friday May 16, 2008 at 1:23 PM