Comparison of To His Coy Mistress and An Answer to a Love Letter :: Love Letters Poetry Poems Essays

Comparison of To His Coy Mistress and An Answer to a Love Letter These two poems are meant to be a love letters written by a man to a lady of higher disposition and an answer to that love letter, written by that lady. The first, written by Marvell is written is telling her 'Carpe Dieum' - or 'Seize the Day' this phrase sums up his poem, as that is what he is telling her to do all the time. This is shown by the way he has structured his piece he starts of explaining what they could do if they had all of the time in the world "We would sit and think which way to Pass our long loves day." This means that they would just spend the whole time talking and planning their life because he says our long loves day and in the context it could mean their life (as they will love forever, therefore all their life will just be one day full of love) then he goes on to say that although he would like to do this they cannot as they will eventually die "Times winged chariot hurrying near Thy beauty shall no more be found" He uses this imagery to show how time (death) is creeping up on them but fast, as in on a winged chariot. Then, in the logical fashion he comes up with a solution that they should "Roll all our strength and all Our sweetness into one ball." This could just means that they should 'get together and become one, possibly through matrimony or having a child hence ball. It could be a euphemism for having sex. However in Montagu's poem she uses a different argument. At first she says that he is seeing a false impression of her because of all the flattery at the beginning, then saying 'but leaving her-'tis me you pursue'. She is complimenting his wife (as the man I s already marries) trying to persuade him that his life at the moment is much better as he has a wife and money and would be stupid to leave that behind. Then she starts getting really aggressive and offensive against mankind, likening them to pug dogs, "Why should the poor pug (the mimic of your kind) Wear a rough chain and be to a box confin'd?" This is meant to be an immense insult against mankind- likening them to simple dogs, that to be fair are quite ugly and just sit on a lap to be stroked all day. In saying this she infers that men have no use but to 'be'. In the next line she begins to give you an idea about why