Formalist Reading of Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress"
Formalist Reading of Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress"
Tanmoy Biswas
BA (Hons) in English
MA in English Literature
Abstract
The article narrates formalist reading of Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress”. Formalism interprets the form of a text which find out the aesthetic elements of a literary work. This article explores the formal features of “To His Coy Mistress”. The form and content, syllogistic exhibition, diction, style, metaphysical wit, conceit, hyperbole, personification, imagery and etcetera are found in formalist reading of “To His Coy Mistress”.
In literary theory, formalism is a term of criticism. It is the critical appreciation of a text which analyze, interpret or evaluate the implicit features of a poem, story, novel or any kind of literary work. These features of formalism do not focus on grammar and syntax only. It evaluates the literary devices, terms, form, content and etc. Historical, cultural, social and biographical conditions are also included in formalist theory.
Formalist reading of Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress” firstly shows the form and content. “To His Coy Mistress” is a metaphysical poem which is composed on dramatic monologue. According to NTC’s Dictionary of Literary Term, “Dramatic monologue is a poem in which a single character, overheard speaking to a silent listener, reveals a dramatic situation.” The speaker of this poem narrates everything which makes it a dramatic monologue. Academy of American Poet says “Dramatic monologue in poetry, also knows as a personal poem, shares many characteristics with a theoretical monologue.”
The first important thing in formalist reading is ‘content’. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, ‘Content is the main idea but it is abstract’. On the other hand, the form is concrete. Form portraits the content by language.
The content of “To His Coy Mistress” is ‘carpe diem’. ‘Carpe diem’ is a Latin phrase meaning “seize the day”. It focuses the enjoyment of present time without thinking about future. In this poem the speaker is trying to convince his beloved in physical union. Though she is not agreeing in physical union without marriage or social permission. The speaker does not think about future. He wants to get the pleasure of the moment without thinking for the future. So, the content of the poem is ‘carpe diem’.
Syllogistic pattern is also noticed in “To His Coy Mistress”. Syllogism is the establishment of an argument logically. The speaker is very eager to sex with his mistress. His mistress is not interested but he wants to convince and try to establish the argument logically. He says that they don’t have enough time. Death may come. So they should enjoy their earthly life. The argument of this poem is logical. He establishes his logic using ‘if’, ‘but’ and ‘therefore’.
“Had we but world enough, and time,”
(Line 1)
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If
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Syllogism in “To His Coy Mistress”
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But at my back I always hear
Time’s winged chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
(Line 21-24)
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But
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Now therefore, while the youthful hue
(Line - 33)
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Therefore
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And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Thorough the iron gates of life:
Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run.
(Line 43-46)
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Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress” is a metaphysical poem. Totally different things happen at the same time in the poem. The role of soul and body are separate entities. Metaphysical poetry also consists with physical, leading to spiritual union, religious devotion and etcetera. Physical love is strongly presented in the poem.
‘My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires, and more slow;’
(Line 11-12)
Conceit and wit has been focused here. Vegetable love is organic love. Vegetable is very colorful and nice to see but not too much tasty to eat. If they do not interfere in physical union, their love is tasteless. Perfect use of words, wit and personal emotion has proved the poem as a metaphysical poem.
Marvell has used a lot of hyperboles in the poem. We see hyperbolic expansion of exotic location and time in the poem. He tries to exaggerate his mistress. The poet highly praises his beloved. He admires her physical organs. He says, if they had time, they could visit Indian Ganges River. He says, it will take hundred years to praise her eyes and two hundred years to praise each breast. He can dedicate thirty thousand years for praising the rest.
Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side
Shouldst rubies find: I by the tide
(Line 5-6)
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;
(Line 13-16)
Explicit and implicit comparison are found in “To His Coy Mistress”. This two types of comparison present simile and metaphor. Like: “And now, like amorous birds of prey,” indicates speakers desire to his beloved mistress in lovemaking. Perfect use of ‘like’, ‘as’ and ‘thus’ show explicit comparison which focus simile. On the other hand, ideology has been focused which presents metaphor.
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Thorough the iron gates of life:
(Line 43-44)
Personification is also found in the poem. Speaker hears something behind him. He thinks something is driving the time. He seems to have a hallucination. He says his mistress to notice the passing of time. He try to say that they will die without earthly pleasure or sexual pleasure.
But at my back I always hear
Time’s winged chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
(Line 21-24)
Satiric tone has been used in “To His Coy Mistress”. The speaker firstly tries to convince her to involve in physical intercourse. But when she is not agree, the speaker says that youth is not long-lasting. Her virginity will be eaten by the worms in the greave. Her preserved virginity can’t be an element for feeling proud. Her quint honor will completely disintegrate. By these lines, he has focused satire.
My echoing song: then worms shall try
That long preserved virginity,
(Line 27-28)
Irony is also noticed here. Speaker says that she won’t be able to hear his pretty song when she is in a grave. Her honor will turn to dust without fulfilling desire. They do not have any proud.
In the poem the poet uses imagery. The imagery of ‘birds of prey’ and ‘rough strife’ focuses self-sabotage. Image of ‘iron gates of life’ presents the cruel fact of the world and life.
Andrew Marvell’s artistic quality, combination of thought and passion, use of imagery, time and space gave the best aesthetic qualities in “To His Coy Mistress”. There are a lot of formalist interpretation in Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress”. This poem narrates framework of formalism. The title, use of syllogism, pattern, style, diction, metaphysical conceit, wit, simile, hyperbole, personification, imagery, epigram, time and space are included in “To His Coy Mistress”.
REFERENCES
Marvell, Andrew 1892, The Poems
Abrams, M. H., and Geoffrey Harpham. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 10th ed. New York: Wadsworth, 2010.
Islam, Majharul. A Comprehensive Approach to English Literature. 2nd ed. Dhaka: 2011
Morner, Kathleen, and Ralph Rausch. NTC’s Dictionary of Literary Terms. Special Edition for Bangladesh, New Delhi.
Rahman, M Mofizar Prof (Ph.D). An ABC of English Literature. 2nd ed. Dhaka: 1999.
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