into a “globe,” framing itself in a sphere of water (the “Element”).

“For the clear Region where t'was born
  Round in itself encloses:
  And in its little Globes Extent,
Frames as it can its native Element.” (5-8). 

Lines 11 and 12 illustrate that the dew drop (soul) scarcely touches the flower it rests upon and is gazing back upon the skies (the Heavens/Sun from where it originated). For some of the metaphysical poets, certainly Marvell in this poem, the soul was in between the material/mortal world and the spiritual world. The soul is barely touching the flower and gazing back at the sky; it maintains this "in between" status. The soul/dew drop, in lines 19-40, will eventually return, transitioning from material/mortal to spiritual: from water to vapor.

In lines 13-16, the dew drop grows mournful, because it has been separated from its Sphear (God/Sun) and it becomes restless, fearing it will become impure. Then the sun (God) takes pity on the dew drop and relieves it of its anxiety, lifting it back to heaven (sky) by warming it. Thus, the drop is evaporated back into the air.

This is a clever analogy of water and the soul. Note that the dew drop is a particularly useful aesthetic because, like a soul, it is clear and pure: a perfect sphere. The drop of water is transparent but reflective. This is important for the metaphysical notion of a soul being between, or a transition from, the material and the spiritual worlds because a drop of water is like a mirror, visibly reflecting both the earth and the sky. It reflects both worlds and it inhabits both worlds and it constantly travels back and forth between the two. 

The first section of this famous metaphysical poem relies on the personification of the drop of dew as it is given various human qualities in the initial description of this part of the poem. Of course, Marvell is building this description up so that he can introduce the central metaphor or conceit in line 19, where he compares the drop of dew to the human soul that yearns to return to heaven from where it came. Note the following example of personification in the section you have highlighted:

How it the purple flow'r does slight,
Scarce touching where it lyes,
But gazing back upon the Skies,
Shines with a mournful Light;
Like its own Tear

The drop of dew is given human qualities in the way that it is shown to "slight" the purple flower and how it is described as "gazing back" at the heavens above. Note, too, the simile that is introduced when its shining is described as being "Like its own Tear" to highlight the sadness and grief of the drop of dew. These are some examples of the way in which literary terms are used to build up the description of the drop of dew. Have another look at the poem now and see if you can find any more. Good luck!

Lines 11-18 of Andrew Marvell’s poem “On a Drop of Dew” might be paraphrased and explicated as follows:

   But gazing back upon the skies,   

[But the drop of dew looks back up toward the sky from which it came] Here and elsewhere in the poem, the speaker treats the drop of dew as if it were alive and as if it were a person. Drops of dew cannot literally gaze into the sky, but the personification here helps prepare for the later point in the poem when the analogy between the drop of dew and the human soul, descended from heaven, will be made explicit.

      Shines with a mournful light,

[The drop of dew is illuminated by a kind of light that makes it look as if it is feeling some kind of sorrow.] Once again, the drop of dew is being personified.  Drops of dew cannot literally feel sorrow, so the speaker is once more using the personification to foreshadow the later explicit comparison of the drop of dew to the human soul.

         Like its own tear,

[The drop of dew almost seems to be weeping] The idea that a drop of water might seem to shed a tear is typical of the kinds of paradox in which “metaphysical” poets such as Andrew Marvell and John Donne delighted. Such paradoxes display the wit of the poet: how many people could imagine a drop of water weeping? Once again, personification is heavily emphasized.

Because so long divided from the sphere.

[The drop of dew seems to be weeping because it has been separated for such a long time from the sky from which it came.]  This line displays more wit. The drop of dew is described as a sphere of water separated from the even greater sphere of the sky or the heavens. Ironically, the drop of dew has been resting on the rose bush for a very brief time, but the speaker imagines that that length of time seems very long to the dew drop.  This phrasing perhaps implies that even though human life can seem long, our souls actually inhabit our bodies for what seems, from a divine perspective, a mere blink of the eye.

   Restless it rolls and unsecure, 

[The drop of due, as it lies, perhaps, on a leaf of the rose bush, moves around on the leaf, because it is not attached.]  This line may allude to the common Renaissance concern with mutability, or the constant change and instability typical of the earth. The speaker uses triple alliteration effectively when he says “Restless it rolls.”

      Trembling lest it grow impure,

[The drop of dew is worried that it may lose its purity because of its contact with the leaf, symbol of the material world.] Just as the soul fears spiritual impurity, so the dew drop fears physical impurity.

   Till the warm sun pity its pain,

[The drop of dew rests on the rose bush until the warm sun, taking pity on the drop’s sorrow] The sun was often used in medieval and Renaissance poetry as a symbol of God, and it is used that way in this poem.  The pity that the sun feels for the drop of dew resembles the pity that God feels for the human soul, since God knows that the human soul wants to return to heaven, from which it came.

And to the skies exhale it back again.

[The drop of dew is taken back up into the sky by the process of evaporation.] Just as the sun evaporates the drop of dew, so God will lift the human soul back up into the heavens and make it one with himself again.

Andrew Marvell’s poem titled “On a Drop of Dew” might be considered a “metaphysical” poem for a number of different reasons. In the first place, the poem is decidedly philosophical as it elaborately compares a drop of dew to the human soul. Secondly, the poem develops that comparison for many lines, in the manner of a metaphysical “conceit,” or extended analogy.

The first ten lines of the poem might be paraphrased and analyzed as follows:

See how the orient dew,

[Look, reader, how the dew that appears in the east] Notice how this line directly addresses readers, already encouraging them both to look and to begin contemplating.

Shed from the bosom of the morn   

[has fallen from the breast of the morning] Notice the pleasant associations of the imagery here.

   Into the blowing roses,

[into the blossoming roses] The roses here seem to symbolize the beauty of the physical world.

Yet careless of its mansion new,

[but it pays no attention to its large and impressive new home and seems not even to care for it] The word “mansion” once again suggests the splendor of the earth.

For the clear region where ’twas born 

[because the pure, spotless place where it originated] The language here begins to associate the sky with heavenly virtue and heavenly beauty.

   Round in itself incloses:

[is enclosed within the drop of dew in the sense that the dew reflects the sky.] Circles and spheres were often associated with perfection and with God during the middle ages and the Renaissance.

   And in its little globe’s extent,

[And the drop of dew, like a small sphere or a small world] Once more, imagery of perfection is used.

Frames as it can its native element.

[seems to contain within itself the sky and air where it was born.] The idea that the drop of dew seems to contain the sky foreshadows the later idea that the human body does contain a soul. In each case, something that is itself attractive contains something more ethereal but also something that is important and attractive in its own way.

   How it the purple flow’r does slight,   

[Look how the drop of dew seems to ignore the beautiful flower on which it rests or which blooms nearby]  The fact that the flower is purple may associate it with the color of royalty. In any case, the flower is beautiful, as earthly things often are, but the drop of dew pays no attention to such merely worldly beauty.

      Scarce touching where it lies,  

[The drop of dew barely has physical contact with the plant on which it now rests] The language here again foreshadows the later idea that even though the soul inhabits the body, its connection with the body is merely temporary and not especially strong or enduring.

In short, everything in the first ten lines of the poem prepares for the poem’s later development.  Just as the drop of dew lands temporarily on the rose bush, so (the poem will later suggest) the human soul takes up a very brief residence on the earth and within the human body.  The earth may seem attractive in many ways, but the soul contains within itself an image of the heaven from which it came. Just as the drop of dew seems to pay little attention to the rose bush, despite the bush’s attractiveness, so the human soul is more focused on God and heaven than on its earthly habitation and surroundings.