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"To His Coy Mistress" - Andrew Marwell

Hello Friends,
I would like to share a poem which I studied during my graduation. “To His Coy Mistress” is a metaphysical poem by Andrew Marwell.
Andrew Marvell  (1621 – 1678) was an English metaphysical poet, satirist and politician.



The poet addresses this poem to a woman who is not responding to his sexual advances.

In the first stanza the poet tells the mistress that if they had more time and space, her shyness or “Coyness” wouldn’t be a "crime”. If he would have more time then he would admire her. He would focus on each part of her body until he reached her heart.

The second stanza begins with “But”. They don’t have enough time. Once life is over, they won’t get chance to embrace and enjoy. If she doesn’t make love to him then after death her “Virginity” will be taken away by the worms.

In the final stanza, he tells her that they should have love like the birds do around them, but before they should have some wine. He also suggests that all the frustrations can be released through sexual act and they can be free.

In this poem we find the themes like time, mortality, sex and freedom.

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