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To His Coy Mistress Essay

Decent Essays

To His Coy Mistress

Compare and Contrast “To His Coy Mistress” By John Donne.

“To His Coy Mistress” and “ To His Mistress Going to bed” are two poems that feature “carpe diem”; they are also written by two of the most well known metaphysical poets. Andrew Marvell, the author of “To
His Coy Mistress” and John Donne, the writer of “To His Mistress Going
To Bed”. Both poems were written through the 16th and 17th Century, where love and sex were describe as two different things. 16th and 17th century attitudes to love and relationship were much stricter than in the 21st Century, as wealthy men who wished to court a woman, would need to use the convention of writing a letter or a poem to try and win her over. This is precisely …show more content…

They use flattery as it makes the women feel comfortable with them. Each poet refers to their women using jewels, making the woman feel rich and exquisite. In John
Donne’s poem, “ Jems which you women use are like Atlanta’s balls, cast in mens views, that when a fools eye lighteth on Jem.” Donne could be referring to the lady in the poem or he could just be using this phrase as an act of imagery. It is an illusion to a suitor who in a race (Atlanta-Goddess), cast golden balls to delay her, but in this poem the sex is reversed. “Should’st rubies find: I by the tide of
Humber would complain.” was written in Andrew Marvell’s poem. He uses this to get her into the mood, giving her luxurious images.

Donne and Marvell each use exaggeration in their poems, though Donne’s is more believable than Marvell. “ A hundred years should go to praise thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze.” taken from Marvell’s poem.
“How blest am I in this discovering thee! To enter in these bonds, is to be free”. I think that the fact that Donne’s is more believable, it makes the woman feel moved loved and appreciates.

Each poem has imagery, which sets a romantic setting to their poems.
Marvell talks about the Indian Ganges, “Thou by the Indian Ganges”, he uses this to get her into the mood of having sex with him. Donne uses it when the woman is releasing her gown, “Your gown going off, such

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