Does anyone understand what this poem is about?

I don't see how, since there is no such poem. I do remember one about to his mistress on going to bed (by someone else) and another to his coy mistress, if that is any help.

There is a rather humorous discussion of the poem here:

[www.cs.rice.edu]


Les

I am reading that poem also, and I do NOT understand it!

Well, try this paraphrase of the structure as a start, remembering that a paraphrase is not the poem.

If we had time, this is what we could do: ___________

But we don't have time to do that.

Therefor let's do this: __________


Now try to fill in the blanks, identifying allusions and figures of speech.

Note that the structure is in the form of a syllogism.

If you are not familiar with the terms allusion, figure of speech, and syllogism, look them up in a good dictionary or encyclopedia and then see if you can apply their definitions to the poem in question.

It might help to know that this is a carpe diem poem, carpe diem being the Latin for seize the day.

You are studying one of the most famous poems in our language, so any time you spend on it will not be wasted.

Good point - if she is coy, she cannot yet be his mistress!

I'm not sure if this would be the place for it, but I have the Mistress' reply, if anyone wants it.

I remember the Nymph's reply to the Shepherd, but not the Mistress' to Marvell. Sure, send it on up.

There's something more than 'In your dreams, jerk!'?

pam

It's definitely NOT in the literary canon, but here it is anyway.

To Her Forward Escort
Jody James

Had we but world enough, and time,
This coyness, sir, would not subside.
For, should you not endure this day,
My reluctance will not go away.
In this river, I must confide,
I see the truths that coincide,
For as you stand at the mouth,
All of your intentions have gone south.
And I would, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews.
And if your love shall not grow
Then, perhaps, Sir, you should go.
If your intentions are not to praise
My eyes, and on my forehead gaze
Then avert your attention from my breast
And, please, don’t even consider the rest.
For if you haven’t won my heart,
You haven’t won any part.
In fact, I do deserve this State,
But I progress, only at my rate.

While at your back you always hear
Time’s winged Chariot hurrying near,
I, myself, am content to be
Coy for all of eternity.
And to my vault I shall take
Your intentions on this day.
I would rather worms should try
That long-preserved virginity,
Because, your intentions, I distrust,
For they are, merely, of lust.
And to my grave I shall take
My self-respect, not self-hate.

Now, therefore, while the youthful hue
Sits on my skin like morning dew,
I am not so gullible as you may think.
And from my dew, you shall not drink.
And what my willing soul transpires
Is that, my dear, all men are liars.
Love birds, we are not,
For, my love must be bought.
Not with money, not with power,
Time would be my proper dower.
So roll all your strength and all
Your sweetness up into one ball
And roll past me, just roll on by
Till you find a girl to fall for your line.
Roll through the gates of life
For an honorable man would make me his wife.
Though I can not make the sun stand still,
I have high standards, and an iron will.
To you, my escort, so insistent
It will not pay to be persistent.

this poetry -- author write for virgin girl -----mistress means to virgin girl

the time is running fast. We have no time. When time passes by, your beauty will be gone. You shall die. Therefore, don't pressure your virginity. Let's enjoy your life(having sex) before we die

Absolutely right, wanwalee. Charles I said the same thing to Frances Stewart (the model for Britannia on British coins for several hundred years) She wasn't having any, being very virtuous, and he then said furiously words to the effect that 'I hope you'll come back when you are old, ugly and willing, and see what my response is then'. A little later she got smallpox and was terribly scarred and he was absolutely sweet to her, making sure other people didn't make fun of her and paying her enough attention to avoid them hurting her, but he didn't fancy her any more.

I HATE Andrew Marvell......he is the gayest freak ever!!!! I can't understand anything he has written and i have to do some gay butt report on him that i don't want to do because he looks gay and i told my teacher that and i got in trouble because my teacher doesnt like us to judge people just by what they look like........isn't that retarded

This guy?

[www.luminarium.org]

[www.luminarium.org]

Maybe you are thinking of Herrick. Now THAT dude had a honker on 'im!

[www.luminarium.org]

There's a better reply by the late A.D.Hope.

[www.cs.rice.edu]

Interesting poem, but maybe this one?:


[www.cs.rice.edu]

Oops! Thanks for that correction.

Very odd. All the poem postings on Minstrels give a link at the end, inviting comments, which for some time has had a number wrong by one, resulting in many of the comments going astray, and misleading anyone who cuts and pastes the link as I did. As the saying goes, to err is human but it takes a computer to really screw things up.

No prob. At first, I couldn't figure out where Alec Der went.