CAMILLE MAY SAVILLO

A Historical/ Biographical Criticism of Andrew Marvells To His Coy Mistress

Andrew Marvell was an English poet who lived in the 17 th century. This century is
characterized by the ascendancy of the inductive method of reasoning and by rising religious
skepticism. During this time, the Renaissance had influenced classical learning and logic.
Marvell was educated in Cambridge and is well versed in classical, biblical, and romance
traditions. His educational background can explain the many instances of erudite allusions in his
poem. His use of Greek mythology and the Bible in his poem shows that he is well-educated.
In 1649, the long established tradition of the divine right of kings was broken when
Charles I was executed by his people. This is an extraordinary event in English history wherein it
seems that the people were striking out against God himself in the form of the supposedly
divinely appointed monarch. This decision was made by Parliament after significant
dissatisfaction with Charles Is absolutism. Charles showed his support of the Catholic Church
by marrying a Catholic and also forging a strong relationship with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The English resented these happenings.
Andrew Marvell was one of the many subjects who were unsure about the execution
when it finally happened. To him, it was a game of careful balances, since he also supported
Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector while also simultaneously writing poetry which are
sympathetic to Charles I cause. In this way, Marvell can be seen as loyal to the current power
but also somewhat disloyal. He expressed this contradictory position in his poem, To His Coy
Mistress. He did it by placing the speaker of the poem in his own place and the beloved, against
whom the speaker rebels despite his love and desire for her, in the place of the King.
The beloved's identification with the King can be seen in the first few lines which speaks
about the nature of the adoration that the speaker gives to the woman. He promises her love that
"should grow vaster than empires". He also used politicized language such as "For lady, you
deserve this state, Nor would I love at a lower rate". In speaking about love, he uses

CAMILLE MAY SAVILLO

governmental terms such as empire and state, which indicates that there is a connection with the
royal person.
In the second stanza, the distant adoration transforms into intense urging for physical
action. In this part of the poem, the press of time as well as the inevitability of death addresses
the issue of the divine right of the King. The lines in this stanza remind the King that he is also
mortal and will soon turn to dust, and into ashes all my (the speakers) lust. This signifies that
the hold of the King over the people can only last as long as his physical body can endure it.
When he is gone, so will the loyalty of the people to him.
In the last stanza of the poem there is another contradictory turn of ideas. The speaker
now proposes a subversive overthrow of time itself. He describes the act of love as a mutiny that
will turn on time. Instead of languishing under the power of time, they will instead charge the
iron gates of life.
In the conclusion of the poem, the challenge to the sun is a pun for the son of the
monarch. Marvell here may be referring to the son, Charles II, who became Charles I successor.
Since in the poem, they are challenging the sun, then it means that they are challenging the
authority of the King. The carpe diem theme of the poem becomes a cry for insurrection.
Therefore, the poem shows the speaker as a subject of a royal figure, who both gives
adoration to his King and on the other hand, also attempted subversion. The ideas in this poem
reflect how Marvell saw the state of England at that time.

Sources:
Marvell, A., To His Coy Mistress. Retrieved on April 16, 2015 from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173954
Andew Marvells To His Coy Mistress: A New Historicist Reading Retrieved on April 16, 2015 from
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/poetry/critical_define/newhistessay.pdf