Marvel & Herrick Comparison 10-25 9:25

When looking at Marvel’s To His Coy Mistriss and Herrick’s To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time, we can see many similarities. Consider the usage of the word “Coy” in each. How does each poet convey their ideas on love vs. lust? Think about both Marvel and Herrick’s usage of “Carpe Diem”, and relate back to their respective perceptions on love. Draw any contrasts or comparisons that you may see within both poems.

14 thoughts on “Marvel & Herrick Comparison 10-25 9:25

  1. Both of these poems illustrate fleeting time and the prime of youth that is short-lived. The concept of Carpe Diem is evident in Herrick’s lines “then be not coy, but use your time.” Herrick seems to focus more on not wasting time and taking advantage of opportunities while you are still young. Marvell, on the other hand, focuses on the “what ifs” if time was unlimited. The second half of his poem is where he really writes about how time IS limited and therefore youth should not be wasted. Herrick’s poem also seems to be about youth in general while Marvell’s poem is addressed to a specific woman. However, both poets use similar imagery to depict the themes of time, youth, and love. They both write about not being able to stop the sun from moving forward each day. They also write about taking advantage of youth before it fades away. Marvell’s poem has a lot stronger imagery of love, such as writing about how his love grows steadfastly and how he will adore every part of his mistress for ages. Marvell also uses more figurative and descriptive language while Herrick writes with more directness is more concise with his thoughts.

    • Given the fact that Marvell talked more about the “what-ifs” of time, we can say that he had more of a fundamentally philosophical stance that questioned time rather than simply accepting its true nature, at least to begin with. It makes me feel like Marvell is more of a dreamer and Herrick is more realistic. Yet after this, Marvell starts to mirror Herrick more and adopt a “seize the day” theme that is more down-to-earth; but the “what-if” theme in the beginning represents Marvell’s strong desire for more time and thoughtfulness.

    • Both Herrick and Marvell express ways in which love is affected by time, but Herrick’s poem rings more of lust while Marvell’s of love. Herrick is almost demanding that his love speed up, not be so coy and seize the day because life is short. I interpreted this in a more sexual, lustful way than Marvell’s poem which highlights life’s brevity as well, but therefore suggests they take it slow and enjoy each moment together in love. Marvell compares his love to vegetables, painting a slow and careful picture of love in our heads while Herrick seems to be rushing into the good stuff.

  2. I think that both Marvel and Herrick’s poem both address that time is passing quickly throughout the poems. I agree with Emily’s comment about Carpe Diem being expressed by Herrick by the line, “then be not coy, but use your time.” However, I think that line also goes to prove my point that the poem is about the passage of time. Marvel seems to use Carpe Diem in an attempted to sway the woman to give in and do what he wants. He also sees her coyness as a hindrance. Herrick says in his poem don’t let being coy hold you back. They both basically have the same idea presented in similar yet very different ways.

  3. I agree with what both Emily and Autumn have stated previously. There is no denying that both Herrick and Marvell are talking about time and love. In Herrick’s poem, “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time,” I get much more of a sense of urgency in his writing. In this poem, he stresses the concept of youth and age much more than we see in Marvell’s poem. “The high he’s a-getting; The soone will his race be run, And nearer he’s to setting.” This line to me really seems to set the tone of the poem and Herrick’s sense of time running out. He is basically saying that as each day wears on, the closer we come to the end so then we should “not be coy. but use your time, and whilst ye may go marry.” Like Emily and Autumn both said, he definitely is stressing a Carpe Diem like attitude because to him, time is extremely limited and therefore should be valued.
    In Marvell’s poem “To His Coy Mistress,” we see the issue of time and mortality coming into play in a somewhat different sense. In this poem, there is more a sense of love and appreciation for someone, and time and urgency aren’t stressed as strongly. Marvell talks about his love growing slow and steady…”My vegetable love should grow Vaster than empires, and more slow.” This differs from Herrick’s tone of seizing the day and living while you’re young. However, we do see the same emphasis on youth being the “golden age” in both poems. In Marvell we see it when he speaks of death and her growing old, “And your quaint honour turn to dust; And into ashes all my lust.” which is his way of saying that once she’s old he’s not going to want her anymore. And we see starting at line 33 the last stanza of the poem talking about how they should relish this time while their young, which is very similar to what Herrick is saying in his poem.

  4. These two poems have a similar message, although they reach their main points differently. Herrick’s poem is more to the point. It illustrates scenes of dying roses of the sun setting in order to portray the quick passing of time and to get across the point of seizing the day. Marvell’s poem, however, seems to, at first, celebrate the slow passing of time and how their love will grow through out it. It isn’t until the end of his poem that he contradicts this and urges his lover to lose herself in the passion of youth.
    Another point in these poems that differs is how the narrator says to seize the day. Herrick says that it is most important to be happy and joyful in youth because your prime will soon be gone. Marvell compares the seizing of the day to “amorous birds of prey” providing us with a carnal image that is more detailed and specific than that of Herricks.

  5. Their presentation of love and lust is different in part because Herrick’s poem is more unified in thesis and much shorter. While he alludes to a kind of love with phrases such as “When youth and blood are warmer” and ” having lost bu once your prime, / you may for ever tarry.” However, there is no distinction between love and lust so perhaps we can consider the two in combination as cause for marriage. On the other hand, Marvell makes a very clear distinction between love and lust. He begins the poem discussing how is love will grow like a plant over time and could last for forever. Then he transitions to his discussion of how quickly time passes which he relates to his lust. They should seize the day because he is so physically attracted to his lover. Marvell gives both love and lust merit and distinction in his poem.

  6. Age most definitely plays a part in these two poems. To Herrick, it seems that youth is the best time to be in love. “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old time is still a flying/and this same flower that smiles today, tomorrow will be dying.” I find from this poem that he finds it best to capture the moment that we are in now and in bask and live in it. Marvell takes a more mature approach and explains that love should take time to grow and cultivate.

  7. It may be worthwhile to think of these two works in terms of their titles. Herrick’s “To the Virgins…” is an address to all virgins. It is a general plea while Marvel’s “To his Coy Mistress” is told from a single male perspective. This perspective may explain why a man speaking directly to his mistress, in the heat of the moment (sorry about that), would use vivid, bodily imagery like “the youthful glew sits on thy skin like morning dew” and “thy willing soul transpires at every pore with instant fires”. These passionate pleas display the firsthand observation of the speaker. Herrick’s speaker does not seem to be in the same mental and physical state of purely potential energy. He may be reflecting on a recent defeat at the hands of coyness. In his poem’s first line, “gather ye rosebuds while ye may,” it is as if he saw someone picking flowers from afar and found in it a frustrating waste of time. It could have been girls picking buds for fun or a young man finding roses for his own coy mistress. Whatever he saw, if he saw anything at all, it may have inspired a thought in him of the fruitless self-denial of being coy.

  8. Both poets are expressing love in a way in which both yearn for it in different times in life. Marvel wants love but it takes time for it to be the best it can be when one’s older since that is when one is wiser. Herrick is passionate about love in the present day of youth and that time should not be wasted waiting around. Carpe diem is used to express how both poets feel that “right now” is a good time for love for different reasons. Marvel wants sexual love and wants to take advantage of that and Herrick wants lovers to love more emotionally in the present say.

  9. I think that Herrick’s point was to let readers understand the brevity of life so that we live each day as if it is our last so that we can have all of the fun and opportunities possible in our youth. Talking to virgins in this poem is a good idea in my opinion because virgins have yet to experience the many temptations that life has to offer. As for love, I think that Herrick uses the virgins to show that he cares about marriage and wants them to live to marry while they are young because he does not want them to wait until they are old a time when marriage can become scarce. he does not want them to be coy or shy and reserved in this case of seeking marriage and a loved one. On the other hand, Marvell does not really give us any description of who the poem is about but I guess they are older and have less time to do the things they could have when they were young. This poem actually seems a bit sexual especially when he speaks of complimenting every part of her body to her heart. I think that he cares less about love and more about sex, using their lack of time as an excuse to bed the woman.

  10. When analyzing these two poems, I noticed many of the things that have been discussed already on this blog. “To His Coy Mistress”, by Marvell, begins in a slow way in which the narrator discusses the idea that if there was all the time in the world then he and his mistress could go on and continue to take things slowly and concentrate on their love of one another beginning the poem with the lines “Had we but world enough, and time,/this coyness Lady were no crime.”. Near the end however, the poem picks up and the idea that as a couple they do not have all of the time in the world begins to be seen. Marvell writes that “But at my back I always hear/ Time’s wind chariot hurrying near”. These lines accurately display the narrators point that because they don’t have all of the time in the world to have a relationship, they should begin one as soon as possible.

    The second half of Marvell’s poem is very much like the poem that Herrick writes. “To the Virgins, To Make Much of TIme”. This poem, unlike Marvell’s in some ways, is much shorter and therefore doesn’t offer the harsh comparison’s of if there were all the time in the world, to the idea that our time on earth is limited. This poem focuses more on the idea that “Tomorrow will be dying” and that people should “seize the day”, an idea that we have seen brought up many times with these readings.

    These two poems are discussing the same ideas, that people should take advantage of their time on this earth and be together. However, Marvell sets his idea up with a contrast of hypothetical situations while Herrick dives right into and goes directly to the point.

  11. Herrick’s poem seems to focus more on love as being at it’s best in youth, in a more passionate, seize the moment way. While in Marvel’s poem he takes a different approach to love, a more mature view, making his point that love gets better with time. Herrick’s poem has a very carpe diem, seize the day mentaility in his lines, “gather ye rosebuds while ye may” and “then be not coy, but use your time.” For Herrick, love is a instant, complicating thing, that must be embraced as soon as you find it. For Herrick, time is of the essence.

  12. Both authors express ways in which love is affected by time. Unlike Marvel, Herrick focuses more on taking advantages of opportunities rather than wasting time. Herrick also seems to focus on youth in general. I agree that the line, “then be not coy, but use your time,” expresses Carpe Diem. Marvell focused more on the “what-ifs” of time, if time was unlimited, and his poem is concentrated on a specific woman. Herrick’s poem seems to be more of lust while Marvell’s depicts love.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *