Compare the way in which these poets convey their attitudes to love

Compare the way in which these poets convey their attitudes to love

and relationships. How is this affected by the era in which they

lived?

The two poems I am comparing are 'To His Coy Mistress' by Andrew

Marvell. Coy can be translated into modern language as Shy. The whole

poem is persuasive and is trying to get the lady to sleep with him,

but because she is shy she wont. Marvell lived in the 17th century

from 1621-1678. The poem in contrast is 'Sonnet 116' by William

Shakespeare who also wrote this poem in the 17th century and he lived

from 1564-1616. This poem is about the strength of love.

Marvell was a metaphysical poet, which means he used extensive

metaphors throughout his poems, as if he is playing with language. On

the other hand Shakespeare wrote in sonnets and has a more sincere

approach to writing.

The poems are both similar in 'meaning' because love I the base of

these two poems. I will be exploring the meaning, which is most

difficult to find without deep thought. Marvell's poem is split into

three parts, the first is speculating about love and if they had all

the time this is what they would do. If they had plentiful time her

shyness wouldn't matter, (but using the unique style Marvell has

acquired), he is almost saying it is a crime to be shy because they

have little time. He says he would spend 200 years adoring each breast

and 100 years gazing upon her forehead. With all the time the world

has he tells us they would visit the Indian Gange's side, because they

had all the world to explore with unlimited time.

Shakespeare is in contrast to this to Marvell as he is saying they

have enough time to do what they like. In the opening line 'Let me not

to the marriage of true minds', he ...

... middle of paper ...

...artnership ripping up their time and pleasure with

'rough strife'. Meaning they must be very fast and strong to make use

of the time they have. Marvell is writing very aggressively.

Shakespeare is again writing in complete opposite to Marvell, he says

love does not change 'in brief hours or weeks'. Love 'bears it out

even to the edge of doom' meaning love lat beyond people's lifetimes,

to the ends of eternity. Shakespeare then ends and concludes his poem

with a rhyming couplet. If Shakespeare's thoughts about love are

false, then he says he has never written anything, therefore he cannot

be wrong.

Marvell then writes that they are going to be so fast that the sun

will have to catch up, we see the couple hand in hand with a huge

burning ball chasing them.

Shakespeare is basically saying love is more powerful than time and

Marvell the exact opposite.