Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) was a politician, satirist and poet who was friends with John Milton. He is described as a metaphysical poet. This is a term given to a number of 17th century poets including Marvell, John Donne, George Herbert, Henry Vaughan and Richard Crashaw. These poets were not affiliated during their lifetimes, but have been posthumously grouped together due to the highly intellectualised nature of their writing, the complex ideas addressed and the unusual imagery. I remember really enjoying studying the metaphysical poets during my English degree, and Marvell was my favourite.
One of his best-known poems, and one of my very favourite poems ever, is his To His Coy Mistress. It’s a carpe diem (seize the day) poem, ostensibly about the speaker trying to seduce his girlfriend and telling her that they shouldn’t wait because time is marching on. There are deeper ideas in this poem about time, mortality, life and existence, however.
If you are interested in reading further, try On a Drop of Dew, A Dialogue between the Soul and Body, or The Mower to the Glowworms. The important thing to remember when reading metaphysical poetry is that it is intentionally complex, sometimes even quite obscure. Don’t worry to try to ‘work out’ the meaning; notice the imagery (often called ‘techniques’ these days in education), sink into the rhythm and allow the language to resonate.
Do let me know what you think!
