Wednesday, February 27, 2013

eternity vs now

To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell uses juxtaposition in order to emphasize the speaker's point.  He thinks his love should show love for him immediately and not wait to get caught up in love.  He starts off by saying, if we had infinite time, we could stay apart forever and I could take thousands of years to adore your body.  His coy mistress obviously is shying away from his current affection.  He talks about the distance between the Ganges and Humber Rivers as well as the great period of time from the Great Flood to the conversion of the Jews.  These great time spans and distances are then turned around.  The speaker says "But at my back I always hear / Time's winged chariot hurrying near. ( lines21,22)"  He is saying that there is no time for her coyness.  He then describes their death and dust at eternity instead of the ageless love he previously described.  He concludes by clearly stating his point.  He says that while they are still young, they should flirt, sport, and get caught up in love.  They can't stop time, but they can enjoy it.

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