Summary for To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell

         To His Coy Mistress

To His Coy Mistress is a poem written by Andrew Marvell. He is one of the celebrated poets of The Metaphysical School of Poetry. This poem was written in the year 1650 and was published in the year 1681. In this poem the poet urges a young woman to enjoy the pleasures of life before death approaches her. This poem is a Carpe diem or seize the day. This poem emphasis that life is short and time is fleeting.

This is a beautiful love poem were a gentleman is making love with his mistress. This gentleman takes great effort to convince the Coy Mistress. She refuses to make love with the man as she feels coy (shy). He claims that if he had enough time he could spend his entire life admiring her beauty.

      He would allow her to walk by the river Ganges and collect rubies. On the other side the poet is ready to walk by the river Humber in England and write his poems. He is ready to spend a hundred years to praise her eyes and forehead. He needs thirty thousand years to describe the rest of her body. At the end he will study her heart. But the poet doesn't have enough time. 

        The poet is aware about the fact that human life is short. He does not have enough time to wait and stare. So he calls his mistress to make love. He desires to enjoy her beauty before it fades away. He claims that after death her honor will turn to dust and his desire will turn to ashes. So he calls his mistress to put together all their strength and sweetness to enjoy life.