"To his Coy Mistress"

Poem Review # 116583

An examination of the use of metaphors, diction and figures of speech in the poem, "To his Coy Mistress," written by Andrew Marvell.

1,330 words () | 0 sources | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Andrew Marvell's poem, "To his Coy Mistress," which was written from a man to his recalcitrant lover. The paper first describes the plot of the poem and the characters who are involved. The paper then discusses Marvell's use of metaphors, diction and figures of speech and how he uses these to portray emotional intensity in the poem.

From the Paper:

""To his Coy Mistress" is a poem written by Andrew Marvell from a man to his recalcitrant lover. The poem seems set in the midst of a long-standing argument about the appropriate pace of their courtship. He begins by flattering her, but by the middle appears too worked up to conceal his exasperation with her failure to put out. He seems, however, to save face at the end of the poem by describing in somewhat ecstatic terms what it would be like if she were to submit to him. Marvell tells the story of this argument by attributing to his speaker a set of concise and evocative metaphors. The pace of the conversation being had and its emotional intensity are both signaled and produced by his use of diction and figures of speech."