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Essay on Exploration of the Different Aspects of Love in Poetry

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Exploration of the Different Aspects of Love in Poetry

In the Victorian and Elizabethan times there were many poems, which explored the aspect of love. The metaphysical group of poets explored the whole experience of man, which was usually romantic or sensual. The poems I will talk about are "The Flea" by John Donne (1572-1631), "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell (1621-78), "The Sick Rose" by William Blake (1757-1827), "A Woman To Her Lover" by Christina Walsh in the Victorian era and "Upon Julia's Clothes" by Robert Herrick (1591-1674). These poems cover lust, an aspect of love, and this was very controversial in the Victorian and Elizabethan times. Lust was very controversial in those times …show more content…

The poems, which I have chosen, explore lust (physical aspects of love and sex) as an aspect of love, possessiveness, religion involvement in love and the ways in which women write about love from men. Out of all the aspects of love, men's views about the physical side of love, possessiveness and jealousy interest me. This is because these types of poems use a lot of imagery by using similes and metaphors, persuasive language and the use of short lines making the flow of the poem quicker in pace.

The first of two poems that I will be studying in this essay is Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress". This poem was written in the 17th century. This metaphysical poem is a syllogistic argument to persuade the writer's coy mistress, reluctant girlfriend, to make love to him. It uses the Court Pastoral Tradition of writing in a sarcastic, humorous way, and this was written for aristocrats and the rich. The narrator's lust for his lover is evident as he tries to persuade his lover to have sex:

'And tear our pleasures like rough strife

Through the iron gates of life;'

Here he is addressing his mistress, whom in his point of views is shy to consummate her love and to have sexual relations. This quote also shows that he will break through any barriers to get to what they want. Marvell is saying having sexual relations will be

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