Line 1
"Had we but world enough, and time..."
The narrator of this poem attempts to manipulate a woman toward a physical relationship through his conditional diction. "To His Coy Mistress" begins on a conditional note, "Had we but world enough, and time..." (Line 1) that carries through the entirety of the piece. The essence of the poem is based on "carpe diem" or "seize the day" in latin. The words in the commencement of the poem give the reader a scenario to envision: the idea that an entire lifetime is no where near enough to complete desired activities. The narrator's manipulation of the woman is recognizable through his portrayal of the world as an unfathomably large place with insufficient time to discover. Basically, the narrator argues that life does not give one enough time for second chances and if an opportunity is not snagged as soon as it appears, then one will ultimately die unaccomplished. The use of the conditional is effective in the sense that the reader is able to feel the urgency of any eventual ambitions. The first line solidifies and strongly begins in emphasizing the very core of the phrase "carpe diem" and is paramount in understanding and interpreting the rest of the poem.
Gauri, your blog post is very similar to mine! I completely agree that Marvel's poem is based on "carpe diem" and that he manipulates the woman throughout the poem so that they will be together. Great job on the whole explanation of the conditional!!! It is very effective!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point that the narrator argues that one must live in the moment and not take opportunities for granted. The speaker's use of a conditional phrase does, in fact, highlight his argument and allows the reader to recognize how manipulative he really is. Gauri, your analysis of Marvell's poem is thought provoking and pretty good overall.
ReplyDeleteI also wrote about carpe diem and seizing each moment. Additionally, I agree with your interpretation of his behavior being manipulative. If he is so worried about not having enough time to sleep with her, why not marry her? I really enjoyed reading about your perspective of the poem! You introduced points I hadn't realized, thank you for your insight!
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