The abrupt and striking beginning
is a common aspect of metaphysical poetry that we find in Marvell’s poetry. Let
us quote the beginning two lines from “To His Coy Mistress”:
“Had we but world enough and Time,
This coyness Lady were no
crime.”
Such kind of abrupt beginning
must arrest the attention of the readers instantly to go into the depth of the
theme.
Another aspect of
metaphysical poetry is the use of colloquial language in a dramatic tone and
Marvell’s poetry is no exception. He uses the familiar and simple
conversational style of language very effectively. This trial is also found in
the following lines:
“Thou by the Indian Ganges side
Should’st Rubies find: I
by the Tide
Of Humber
would complain.”
An important characteristic of
metaphysical poetry is the argumentative presentation of the theme, and Marvell
never fails to exploit this device in his poetry. To express their spiritual
love which has separated two lovers, Marvell has shown some argument in the
following lines of “The Definition of Love”:
“As lines so Loves oblique may well
Themselves in every Angle
greet:
But ours so truly paralel,
Through infinite can never meet.”
Argument and reason can further
noticed in “To His Coy Mistress”:
“The Graves
a fine and private place
But none I think do there
embrace.”
In “To His Coy Mistress”, Marvell
has used Carpe Diem theme in a
syllogistic way implying condition with
if; contradiction with but and solution with therefore.
