To His Coy Mistress Questions and Answers
To His Coy Mistress
Literary Devices in Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress"
Andrew Marvell's poem "To His Coy Mistress" employs various literary devices to persuade his beloved to seize the moment. The poem uses apostrophe, addressing an absent figure, and makes allusions to...
To His Coy Mistress
Themes and Carpe Diem in Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress"
The main theme in Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" is the fleeting nature of time, urging the speaker's lover to seize the day ("carpe diem"). The poem emphasizes the importance of making the...
To His Coy Mistress
What does "vegetable love" mean in "To His Coy Mistress"?
In "To His Coy Mistress," Marvell uses the expression "vegetable love" to refer to love that grows slowly.
To His Coy Mistress
Structure and Argument in "To His Coy Mistress"
"To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell is structured as a three-part argument to persuade a woman to embrace love before time runs out. The speaker first uses hyperbole to express his endless...
To His Coy Mistress
What do the "iron gates of life" symbolize in "To His Coy Mistress"?
The "iron gates of life" in “To His Coy Mistress” is a metaphor that represents the constraints of both time and social expectation. Marvell's speaker and his lover’s amorous encounter would defy or...
To His Coy Mistress
What is a syllogism and how does it apply to Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress?"
A syllogism is a logical argument where a conclusion is derived from two propositions. In "To His Coy Mistress," the speaker uses syllogistic logic to persuade a woman to have sex with him. He argues...
To His Coy Mistress
What does "Time's winged chariot" mean in "To His Coy Mistress"?
"Time's winged chariot" means that time flies or moves swiftly. The speaker emphasizes the quick passage of time to argue that his beloved should accept his amorous advances soon.
To His Coy Mistress
Themes and Mood of "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell
"To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell explores the theme of carpe diem, urging the speaker's beloved to seize the day and make love while they are still young and beautiful. The poem contrasts the...
To His Coy Mistress
What are some examples of imagery in "To His Coy Mistress"?
In "To His Coy Mistress," Marvell uses vivid imagery to explore themes of time and desire. Early in the poem, he presents idyllic images, such as rubies by the Ganges and extensive praise of his...
To His Coy Mistress
What is the meaning of "slow-chapped"?
In the context of the poem, "slow-chapped" means slow-jawed.
To His Coy Mistress
The use and purpose of hyperbole in "To His Coy Mistress."
In "To His Coy Mistress," hyperbole is used to emphasize the speaker's intense feelings and the urgency of his argument. By exaggerating the time they could spend wooing and the consequences of...
To His Coy Mistress
The portrayal of feminism in Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress."
"To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell does not directly portray feminism. The poem is a carpe diem piece that emphasizes the urgency of love and physical intimacy, reflecting the male speaker's...
To His Coy Mistress
In "To His Coy Mistress," what does the speaker mean by describing his mistress as "coy"?
In "To His Coy Mistress," the speaker refers to his mistress as "coy" to indicate that she is shy or modest, particularly about sex. The speaker wishes she would stop this behavior and yield to his...
To His Coy Mistress
What is the meaning of "Had we but world enough and time / This coyness, lady, were no crime" in "To His Coy Mistress"?
The meaning of these two lines, from the speaker's perspective, is that life is short and this young couple should make the most of it by sleeping together now, enjoying their youth and beauty while...
To His Coy Mistress
Is Andrew Marvell considered a metaphysical poet?
Andrew Marvell is considered a metaphysical poet. His poem "To His Coy Mistress" exhibits characteristics such as stretched metaphors, wit, and a carpe diem theme, which are typical of metaphysical...
To His Coy Mistress
What does the quote "And yonder all before us lie / Deserts of vast eternity" from "To His Coy Mistress" mean?
When the speaker says, "And yonder all before us lie / Deserts of vast eternity," he means to say that life is short and is followed by death, which lasts forever.
To His Coy Mistress
Critical Analysis of Love and Argument in Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress"
Andrew Marvell's poem "To His Coy Mistress" is a classic example of carpe diem poetry, urging the speaker's beloved to seize the day and embrace love while young. The poem's themes revolve around...
To His Coy Mistress
Is the poem "To His Coy Mistress" a satire? If so, what is it satirizing?
Yes, "To His Coy Mistress" is a satire. It satirizes the societal expectation that young women must remain virginal until marriage. Marvell uses hyperbole to mock a woman's hesitation to engage in...
To His Coy Mistress
The tone change in "To His Coy Mistress" after line 20
After line 20 in "To His Coy Mistress," the tone shifts from contemplative and romantic to urgent and passionate. The speaker moves from idealizing endless time to emphasizing the fleeting nature of...
To His Coy Mistress
Characterization of the Speaker in "To His Coy Mistress"
The speaker in "To His Coy Mistress" is characterized as persuasive and passionate. He uses logical arguments and vivid imagery to convince his beloved to seize the moment and embrace their love. His...
To His Coy Mistress
How does "To His Coy Mistress" present the conflict between love and time?
"To His Coy Mistress" presents the conflict between love and time by portraying time as an adversary that the couple must actively combat. Marvell suggests that while time is inexorable, the couple...
To His Coy Mistress
How is wit used in the poem "To His Coy Mistress"?
In "To His Coy Mistress," wit is used by the speaker to persuade his lady to engage in sexual relations. He employs clever arguments and hyperbole, such as using religious imagery and sexual...
To His Coy Mistress
What does the "sun" symbolize in "To His Coy Mistress"?
The “sun" is a metonym for the idea of time in “To His Coy Mistress Sun.” The speaker make amorous appeals to his beloved by stressing the swift passage of time, which is represented by the movement...
To His Coy Mistress
Comparing and contrasting the themes of "To His Coy Mistress" and "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love"
"To His Coy Mistress" and "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" both explore themes of love and the passage of time. "To His Coy Mistress" emphasizes the urgency of love and seizing the moment due to...
To His Coy Mistress
What does "quaint honour" mean in "To His Coy Mistress"?
In "To His Coy Mistress," the phrase "quaint honour" refers to the addressee's virginity, suggesting that her determination to remain chaste is somewhat absurd.
To His Coy Mistress
Are the last two lines of "To His Coy Mistress" effective?
The last two lines of "To His Coy Mistress" are highly effective in reinforcing the poem's theme of seizing the moment. The speaker acknowledges the inevitability of time's passage but suggests they...
To His Coy Mistress
What is the meter of "To His Coy Mistress"?
The meter of "To His Coy Mistress" is iambic tetrameter. This means that each line consists of four metrical feet, with each foot containing an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one.
To His Coy Mistress
Comparison of Persuasiveness in Herrick's "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" and Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress"
Both Herrick's "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" and Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" use the theme of carpe diem to persuade, but their approaches differ. Herrick uses a gentle, encouraging tone...
To His Coy Mistress
The nature and characteristics of love in Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress."
In "To His Coy Mistress," love is portrayed as passionate and urgent. The speaker emphasizes the brevity of life and the need to seize the moment for romantic and physical fulfillment. Love is...
To His Coy Mistress
What rhetorical strategies does Marvell use in "To His Coy Mistress" to persuade his lover?
In "To His Coy Mistress," Andrew Marvell uses rhetorical strategies like logos, pathos, and ethos to persuade his lover. He employs logos by arguing logically that time is limited, urging her to...
To His Coy Mistress
Is the "carpe diem poem" hopelessly dated or does it address contemporary concerns?
A poem that was probably more urgent in its day than it is in ours, though many of the feelings expressed are universal.
To His Coy Mistress
How would you, as the lady in "To His Coy Mistress", respond to the speaker and why?
The lady in "To His Coy Mistress" might respond skeptically to the speaker's persuasive arguments, questioning his sincerity due to his playful use of hyperbole and the carpe diem theme. She could...
To His Coy Mistress
Identify and explain an understatement in "To His Coy Mistress".
In "To His Coy Mistress," the speaker uses understatement in the lines "The grave's a fine and private place, / But none I think do there embrace." This follows a series of hyperbolic expressions...
To His Coy Mistress
The classification of "To His Coy Mistress" as a metaphysical poem
"To His Coy Mistress" is classified as a metaphysical poem due to its intellectual and philosophical exploration of themes such as time, love, and mortality, combined with witty wordplay and...
To His Coy Mistress
Can "To His Coy Mistress" be reduced into 'if', 'then', 'but', and 'therefore' sections?
If- Then- But- Therefore- "Had we but world enough and time" "This coyness, lady, were no crime." But at my back I always hear "Time's winged chariot hurrying near." Now therefore, while the youthful...
To His Coy Mistress
How does "Marvell Noir" evoke elements of "To His Coy Mistress" and the tone of a "Noir" narrative?
"Marvell Noir" evokes "To His Coy Mistress" by exploring the theme of time's fleeting nature, but with a noir twist. While Marvell's original poem urges seizing the moment due to life's brevity,...
To His Coy Mistress
Which image in section 3 of "To His Coy Mistress" contrasts with the distance between the Ganges and the Humber?
The image in section 3 of "To His Coy Mistress" which contrasts with the distance between the Ganges and the Humber is that of the ball into which the speaker says the two lovers should roll all...
To His Coy Mistress
In Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress," how do divisions differ in tone and imagery?
In "To His Coy Mistress," the tone and imagery shift significantly across the poem's three sections. The first stanza employs a sarcastic tone with exaggerated imagery, suggesting endless time for...
To His Coy Mistress
What does the speaker hear at his back in "To His Coy Mistress"?
The speaker always hears "Time's winged chariot" at his back (line 22). He wishes to impress upon his demure lover how quickly time passes and youth and beauty fade, because he would urge her to take...
To His Coy Mistress
Find two allusions to "To His Coy Mistress" in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and compare the poems.
"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" contrasts with "To His Coy Mistress" in its portrayal of time and action. While Marvell's speaker is bold and urges seizing the moment due to limited time,...
To His Coy Mistress
What activities would Andrew Marvell undertake with "world enough and time" in "To His Coy Mistress"?
In "To His Coy Mistress," with "world enough and time," the speaker envisions leisurely activities such as sitting idly, strolling, finding rubies, and gazing at his beloved's beauty. He would...
To His Coy Mistress
What do Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" and Herrick's "To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time" say about time's effects...
Marvell and Herrick both portray time as a force that will inevitably do away with youth, beauty, and vitality.
To His Coy Mistress
What is being compared in a specific simile in "To His Coy Mistress"?
In "To His Coy Mistress," a specific simile compares the youthful hue of the mistress's skin to morning dew. This suggests that her youthful appearance is fresh and new, akin to the freshness of...
To His Coy Mistress
What are three ways "To His Coy Mistress" addresses time's brevity?
In “To His Coy Mistress,” Andrew Marvell addresses time’s brevity by forcefully proposing that he and his mistress act on their passion for one another before time turns their “lust” into “ash.”
To His Coy Mistress
In "To His Coy Mistress," how does the speaker exaggerate the lovers' activities given ample time?
In "To His Coy Mistress," the speaker exaggerates by claiming he would spend vast epochs appreciating his lover if time allowed. He humorously suggests loving her from biblical times until the end of...
To His Coy Mistress
When would the speaker in "To His Coy Mistress" accept his mistress's reluctance?
The speaker in “To His Coy Mistress” would be willing to accept his mistress's reluctance if they had all the time and space in the world. As things are, though, time will soon catch up with them,...
To His Coy Mistress
What deliberate fallacy does Marvell include in this poetic syllogism?
This poem is an extended metaphor comparing the speaker's mistress to a fine flower which will soon wither, and using this metaphor to argue for taking the steps needed to ensure that the lovers are...
To His Coy Mistress
Is the following passage from "To His Coy Mistress," by Andrew Marvell, an example of hyperbole? "My vegetable love...
The passage from "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell is indeed an example of hyperbole. The speaker uses exaggerated expressions about time to emphasize the urgency of love and desire, claiming...
To His Coy Mistress
What other poem from the same period can "To His Coy Mistress" be compared to in terms of love and relationships?
"To His Coy Mistress" can be compared to Robert Herrick's "To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time," both emphasizing the "carpe diem" theme—urging women to seize the moment due to life's fleeting...