Compare the ways Marvell and Donne use their poems to seduce Essay Example For Students

Compare the ways Marvell and Donne use their poems to seduce Essay The two poems, To His Coy Mistress and The Flea were both written with one thing in mind: seduction. The poems were later labelled as Metaphysical poems, which is a term used for poems that were written in a certain period, usually to seduce, and contained unusual metaphors. The 17th century was a highly religious period, as well as a time when the rich decided to travel around the earth discovering new and unseen land, which gave ground to myths and legends. Marvells To His Coy Mistress uses a syllogistic argument as well as using the carpe diem theme. The thesis is the first section of the poem, in which Marvell drowns the woman in flattery, telling her all the time he would spend idolising her if only they had enough time. The second section of the poem sees Marvell reminding the lady that the time they have is too short to even considering doing all this, the antithesis. This leads to the conclusion that they must make love to one another now, as their time is too precious to waste. The syllogistic argument is similar to the theme of carpe diem. Marvell tells her all the things they could do, although they cant as time casts its restraints over them, so they must seize the day and have sex there and then. Marvell introduces the poem with the rather controversial line, Had we but world enough, and time, which implies right from the start that all the things he is about to describe are unobtainable. He then describes how her coyness is a crime, with the word crime hopefully making the woman feel guilty for wishing to preserve her purity. Marvell then tells the woman they would sit down, and think which way, To walk, implying that they would take their time and get to know each other before deciding what they wanted to do in the future. The next phrase, and pass our long loves day creates the image of an idealistic fairytale romance, as the words nearly force you to prolong them as you say them. This makes the phrase sound more seductive and rhythmic. Marvell then talks to the woman about how she would be able to travel to the Indian Ganges side Shouldst rubies find. India was an exotic place that not many people had travelled to or even knew much about in the 17th century; and rubys were not only expensive, highly glamorous jewels, but they were also believed to preserve your virginity. Marvell explains how he by the tide Of Humber would complain. meaning that he would wait at home, longing to see the woman, as she went off exploring theses tropical places. Marvell then makes the statement: I would Love you ten years before the flood: And you should, if you please, refuse, Till the conversion of the Jews. By the flood, Marvell is referring Noahs flood in the Bible. He proclaims he would love her before this, until the conversion of the Jews which would probably never happen as the Jewish community is highly religious. This is an elaborate way of saying that Marvell would love this woman forever, had he the chance. Marvell then moves onto more sexual imagery, but he does this subtly. My vegetable love should grow Vaster than empires, and more slow. could be received by the woman in two ways. It could be interpreted as how his love for the woman would grow slowly, as does a vegetable or an empire. Another interpretation would be that his vegetable love growing is a reference to his penile erection, with him, rather hyperbolically, telling the woman how large his penis is with the mention of it being vast empires. Marvell then tells the woman: An hundred years should go to praise Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze. Two hundred to adore each breast: But thirty thousand to the rest. Marvell is again using hyperbole but this time to give imagery of a much more romantic and less obscene manner. He describes how he would take his time just marvelling at this womans beauty, again immersing her in flattery. He goes on to write And the last age shall show your heart: which is telling her that she not only looks beautiful, but her personality is just as marvellous and important. Marvell draws the first stanza to a close writing For, Lady, you deserve this state; Nor would I love at lower rate. meaning that she deserves all of the above, and he would in no way compromise if he had the time. Marvell begins his antithesis with the word But, which is instantly a sign of the negativity to come. This section of the poem sees Marvell almost scaring the woman into sleeping with him. He uses various morbid pieces of imagery, as well as playing on his mistress guilt. Marvell opens with But at my back I always here Times wingà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d chariot hurrying near: In Greek mythology, it was believed that Gods would ride across the sky, drawing behind them the day or the night. Marvell is referring to how they were drawing closer, and how their time is running out, scaring the woman into having sex. Marvell then takes a dramatic shift in what hes describing. The lines And yonder all before us lie Deserts of vast eternity. Here Marvell is implying that only death is to come. The line Deserts of vast eternity symbolising death, and how there is only arid, lifeless spaces of nothingness waiting for them. Marvell then goes on to how Thy beauty shall no more be found, meaning that when she is dead, she will lose her current state of physical allure. Nature And Animals in their Poetry EssayThe second part of Donnes poem is a lot more religious than the first. There has been a turn of events in the time since the last stanza, and the woman has decided to try to squash the flea. Donne, being such an opportunist, uses this new situation to convince the woman to sleep with him through guilt and pity. Donne starts again, abruptly: Oh stay, three lives in one flea spare Donne implies that by killing the flea, she would be killing all 3 of them, as the flea has blood from him and her too. Donnes argument becomes more dramatic and religious in the next few lines, and starts to become more explicit: Where wee almost, nay more than maryed are: This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage bed and marriage temple is Donne starts to refer to the flea as a place of religious significance, calling it a marriage temple. Donne then writes about the fact that even if their parents disapprove of them having sex, they could do nothing about this, because theyve already had sex inside the flea as was intended by fate. Donne describes the flea as living walls of Jet, Jet being a black, semi-precious stone; this implies that possibly the flea is not semi-precious too. Donne again ends the stanza with a rhyming triplet: Though use make thee apt to kill mee, Let not to this, selfe murder added bee, And sacrilege,three sinnes in killing three. It was once believed that denial and refusal of a mans desires could kill him. Donne uses this to his advantage, telling the woman that denying him sex is killing him. He then goes on to say that killing the flea would also be killing herself which was extremely frowned upon in the 17th century. Donne ends the section with a very powerful statement using hyperbole, three sinnes in killing three. This is a reference to the holy trinity, and killing the holy trinity (which itself is more of a metaphor than something physical) would be absolute blasphemy, a sacrilege even. This stanza again ends in a rhyming triplet which seems to have become a theme in the poem. The third section is a reaction to the woman who has now killed the flea. He opens with curses aimed at the woman: Cruell and sodaine, hast thou since Purpled thy naile, in blood of innocence? Donne is referring to Christ and his crusifiction with the words naile and blood of innocence, and its also notable the purple is a royal colour. Donne carries on writing about how the flea was innocent, and then prompts the woman with a question: Except in that drop which it suckt from thee? Donne is trying to make the woman say that shes guilty. Donne then writes: Yet thou triumphst, and saist thou Findst not thy selfe, nor mee the weaker now, He is trying now to use her reply to try and finish off his argument by turning it on herself. Donne continues: Tis true, then learne how false fears bee; Just so much honour, when thou yeeldst to mee, Will wast, as this fleas death tooke life from thee. In these concluding lines, Donne uses the fact that the woman has told him that nothing has happened even though she has killed the holy trinity to plead his case for sex. He uses this factor to say that if killing the flea is OK, then it is OK to have sex, as the flea is insignificant, and so is your virginity. The two poems contain various similarities and differences. The most visible similarity is their common goal: to seduce a woman into bed. The way they go about this seduction is very different. Marvell decides to use a carefully structured, syllogistic argument in order to woe his lady; whereas Donnes poem seems very opportunistic, his poem a series of replies to events that are unfolding in front of him. There are also similarities and differences in the imagery used by the poets. Both poems use sexual and religious imagery, something typical of Metaphysical poems. One may argue that Marvell makes less use of hyperbole, focussing strongly on elements of death, time and general romanticism. Donne focuses heavily on theming his imagery around religion and sex, seeming very antagonistic. The poems both use very unusual metaphors throughout, as well as some hyperbole. As I had previously mentioned, Marvells use of hyperbole is far less prominent than Donnes. The metaphors and hyperboles are largely focussed around sex which is again a common feature of Metaphysical poetry. The structure of the poems is, on the surface, very similar. They both contain 3 parts, separated into stanzas. This, however, is where the similarities end. Marvells poem very gradually builds up, starting with very romantic imagery and ending in very sexual imagery. Contrarily, Donne delves straight in, with use of very sexual themes as well as very religious ones. This leads well onto my final point, Marvell is far more romantic than Donne. He uses for more romantic themes, as well as less aggressive imagery. Donne tries to win his woman with hyperbole, guilt and intelligence as opposed to flattery. Which of the two methods would have proved more successful is debatable, but both poets put forth very strong arguments to plead their case for sex. The poems, successful in their aims or not, were before their time and very forward thinking. They contributed to the very sexually open society we live in today, exposing 17th century women to the true power of seductive poetry.