“To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell
... speaker uses sex as a metaphor for any adventure in life. He says that there is no reason for her not to have sex with him because she will one day lose the opportunity. Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound My echoing song; then worms shall try That long-preserved virginity, And your quaint honor turn to dust, (26-29) In this quote the author is saying that people should not wait to do something because they will eventually run out of time. He uses the word virginity to describe a goal that someone has yet to attempt to accomplish. The speaker calls her effort to remain abstinent quaint saying that she should go ahead and have sex before its too late. He also mentions “thy marble vault” (25) which is a symbol for her grave. Marvell uses the phrase “Time’s winged chariot hurrying near” (22) as a Metaphor to death. He is saying he will soon be dead and doesn’t have time to waste. Marvell uses many metaphors throughout the poem to help express to the reader that our time on earth is limited. Andrew Marvell is saying that we can not control times; time controls us. The poem begins with the speaker telling his mistress that if we did have all the time we wanted, we could take our time and make our love last forever. He goes on to tell her that he wishes he could take his time and love every part of her for a long period of time. An hundred years should go to praise Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze; Two hundred to adore each breast, But thirty thousand to the rest; An age at least to every part, And the last age should show your heart. (13-18) The speaker is telling the woman how he wishes he could spend many lifetimes loving her. He is telling her how he would adore each part of her for a lifetime and be in love forever. He tells her she deserves to be loved no less than this. In the second half of the poem, the speaker changes to a more logical attitude. He begins to tell her that we do not have all that time because time is running out. He tells her that she should not wait because she will one day regret it. If someone goes though life to conservatively they will one day look back on their life and regret not taking any risks. Then he says that the ...