Argument—Andrew Marvell
Abstract
Andrew Marvell’s seventeenth-century “To His Coy Mistress” is structured as an argument—a syllogism that begins with an implied “if,” continues with a “but,” and moves on to a concluding “therefore.” Marvell’s poem revels in its brilliant wit, rhyming in couplets all the way, concluding with a recommendation the speaker makes to the young lady he is attempting to bed. It’s most famous lines: “The grave’s a fine and private place, / But none, I think, do there embrace” constitute the essence of its carpe diem theme.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Renaissance Literature and Culture
Poetry Analysis and Criticism
Linguistics and Discourse Analysis
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Routledge eBooks
- Pages
- 19–21
- Publication date
- 11 March 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter