To His Coy Mistress
Read this poem. Each stanza makes up one part of a syllogism. Tell us what you think the overall meaning of the poem is and then break it down into the three stanzas relaying what the purpose of each may be. Is the speaker a good rhetor? Why or why not?
Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress” is, in essence, the story of a man who wants time to stop so that he can spend eternity with his lover. Of course, he is aware of the impossibility of this, and he makes the fact that this is a folly apparent to his readers through the use of an extensive syllogism. Each stanza takes the place of a single part of the device of logic. The first stanza of the poem could be in direct correlation to a major premise. He expresses all of the things that could be done if he could simply stop time. The second stanza takes the place of a minor premise. Marvell is outright in embracing the reality that time moves forward at a constant pace and he can neither escape it nor death. The third and final stanza could reflect a conclusion. The author, having acknowledged that time is limited, decides that he and his lover must make the most of their short lives together. To summarize, this poem could be syllogized as either one lives outside the constraints of time, or one lives in a world where the passage of time and the approach of death is accepted; the author does not live outside the constraints of time, so he must accept the passage of time and, ultimately, death with grace. Through this logical path to conclusion, the author proves himself to be a capable rhetor. By using logic to its fullness while also employing the other modes of appeal to a lesser degree, Marvell finds a balance that benefits both him and his readers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and your thought that he uses logic throughout the poem in which he balances it.
DeleteOverall this poem talked about love and sex. The rhetor in this poem, is using all sorts of ways to try and convince this girl to be “intimate” with him. In the first stanza, Marvell is telling this girl that he loves her and cherishes her, all while trying to convince her to participate in un cherished intimacy As we see in time today boys often, if they want sex, will tell the girl they love them and want to spend the rest of their lives together. In the second stanza, the man tells the girl that if they don’t have sex, she’ll die a virgin. Often times in this modern society, men use the excuse that there’s not enough time in the world. We of course know this isn’t true. The third stanza the man tells the girl they are running out of time. He uses imagery such at the birds and using their frustration. This mans a very good rhetor, and most girls today would fall for this.
ReplyDeleteI guess I just didn't read it as quite so overtly sexual. With this interpretation
Deletethe author is suddenly put into a much more perverted lense. You have made me rethink the way I read and see this poem.
I like that you related this poem to how it can affect girls today, good thought process there!
DeleteI love how you tied in huge points about how this actually happens today. You really took time to understand the meaning of the poem and mentioned how most girls would fall for this.
DeleteThe overall meaning of the poem has to deal with the mans extreme passion for his lover. The first stanza is about the overall extent and how much he loves his mistress. The second stanza deals with the concept of how little time in life he has with his lover. Lastly the third stanza deals with the thought of it is either worth it with such little time. Andrew Marvell is a great rhetor due to his uses of logos, pathos, and ethos. He also includes a dialectic within his poem which gives the reader an idea of what Andrew is visioning.
ReplyDeleteI like that you mentioned the dialectic contained within the poem giving the reader an idea of what he is visioning.
DeleteAs I read through the poem “To His Coy Mistress” my opinion about it changed a bit. The first stanza represents the major premise. Here I saw Andrew Marvell describe how he loves his mistress. He talks about how he doesn’t want time to stop so he can love her forever. But as I read the next stanza, the minor premise, my thoughts about his motives changed. Here he talks more about lust and, in a round about way, his sexual desires with her. He almost scares her, saying if she doesn’t do this with him now they will die and she’ll end up dying a virgin. He says he wants a private place for them to embrace, he wants her to feel the same drive as he does. In the last stanza, the conclusion, he ties everything together. He says, in different words, that he won’t be young forever, so they need to do this while they still can. Because while they can’t make time stop, they can make it wish it could. I think the overall message of them poem is love, but it turns into a more desired based one. Marvell can be considered a very good rhetor. Since many people think poems are usually a beautiful work he uses that to his advantage. Placing his syllogism within a poem gives the readers an interesting piece to be influenced by, which might sway some minds.
ReplyDeleteI like that you mention that framing the syllogism as a poem gives the persuasion a different weight.
DeleteI like how you mentioned how he scared her because that does happen today. I agree with Anna's comment about how you mentioned Andrew using the beauty of poems for his overall goal.
DeleteI like how you mentioned that he used people's beliefs to other poems as his advantage to persuade the reader to be his lover.
DeleteThe overall meaning of the poem “To His Coy Mistress” is to explain this man’s never ending love for this woman. In the first stanza, the purpose is to show how the man’s love is constantly growing for her and showing that she basically deserves the world. The second stanza is basically saying that there is no time to waste, and that if they do become each other's lovers, then they should become lovers as soon as possible. In the third stanza, the man is saying that because of these things, they should become each other's lovers now because of there being no time to waste. In my opinion, the speaker is a good rhetor, because he talks about time and that death is inevitable. The woman, realizing what he is saying has some truth to it, would probably be a little more likely to become his lover after hearing that.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how included that time and death is inevitable, also the fact that his choice of words made him more convincing.
DeleteI have never really been a huge fan off poetry so I didn't know how I would like “To His Coy Mistress.” I didn't like the topic of the poem because I don't agree with Andrew Marvell, I think what he is saying is wrong. In the first stanza is his major premise and he talks about how he loves his mistress and how he never wants to be without her. When I started reading the second stanza his motives changed. In his minor premise he is inappropriate and is lusting after her instead of talking about his love for her he is really just thinking of her body and what he wants from her. In the third stanza or conclusion he isn't as blunt and basically tells her that one day they will be old and they should do this while they still can. I think he meant for this poem to be about love but that's not what I took out of it. Andrew is a very good rhetor but he isn't necessarily using his gift for good.
ReplyDeleteI can see your opinion and how you don’t think his skill was used for good but I think his poem was meant for a different meaning.
DeleteI had very similar thoughts as you. Also, whether this poem had a different meaning or not, I like how you noted a good rhetor can have bad motives.
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