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Andrew Marvell in To His Coy Mistress and Robert Herrick in “To the Virgin to Make Much Time Embrace Their Sexuality

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While both Andrew Marvell in “To His Coy Mistress” and Robert Herrick in “To the Virgin to Make Much Time,” both poems express the same idea of Carpe Diem, Marvell wants his mistress to give into his seduction by persuading her with images of worms crawling inside of her and Herrick is asking all young women to deference the idea of embracing their sexuality and to enjoy beauty while one still has it.

The speaker of Herrick's poem stressed the short-lived character of life and to take advantage of their youth to promptly celebrate life, to be amiable, to take chances, and the pleasures it has to offer. Nonetheless, the speaker…show more content…
The second stanza of the poem takes a shift. He urges that they are to die soon and that life is too short while death is forever. In lines 27 to 28, the speaker scares her by saying worms will try to take her virginity if she doesn't sleep with him now. As for the third stanza, the speaker is simplifying what is going to happen when she dies, so why not use up her precious time now?

While Herrick is addressing young women encouraging them to grasp their sexuality while in Marvell's poem, his speaker is persuading the women to commit in the sex act with him personally. On the other hand, both poems take after the “Carpe Diem” idea of living in the now and being merry while tomorrow humans may die or loved ones may. Both Herrick and Marvell dramatize the idea of pleasure, how it should not be held back because dying is destined. Not only that, but both poems seem to almost be like letters to someone. Marvell's poem is very powerful when describing how worms will burrow into his mistress when dead and is more personal while Herrick's is more soothing without the disgusting image and is for all young ladies. Urging women to loose their virginity is one of the big themes of both poems, except Marvell is acting as a
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