Love in Pre-1914 Poetry :: Poetry Poems Love Emotions Essays

Love in Pre-1914 PoetryCompare and contrast the ways in which writers present ideas about revere in a selection of pre-1914 verse linePoetry is usually used to convey strong feelings and emotions whichmay be difficult to express in any other form. Poems are especiallygood at portraying feelings of love because they have set rhythmswhich can flow better than ordinary speech poetry can also be good atexpressing anger as the rhythms are capable of being very harsh. Fromtimes pre-dating the Tudors, poetry has been used by men to win theaffections of their prospective mistresses because, by using verse,they could show emotion without embarrassment. The technique of usingpoetry to woe was used by Andrew Marvell in his song To His CoyMistress.The traditional, model woman, particularly in the 17th Century, wassupposed to maintain a state of coyness until after she was marriedoff to a suitor who met with her fathers approval. Andrew MarvellsTo His Coy Mistress speaks of the passage of time moving on and of amans frustration at his mistresss coyness.Had we but world enough, and time,This coyness, lady, were no crime.(Lines 1-2)In the above the man is telling the lady that if they had all thetime in the world then her coyness would be fine and he would notmind it at all. These first two lines of the poem are the beginning ofthe if section. Marvell goes on in this section to say metre by the Indian Ganges sideShouldst rubies find I by the tideOf Humber would complain. I wouldLove you ten years before the floodAnd you should, if you please, refuse, work on the conversion of the Jews.(Lines 5-10)The Ganges is an exotic river and, especially in the 17th Century whentravel to India was rare, it was the source of much fascination. Bysaying that she is by the Ganges and moreover he is by the Humber, a veryunexciting river, he is flattering her. She is worthy of a glamorousriver whereas he is not. Marvell writes that he would love her evenbefore the two rivers are joined in a second Biblical flood. He alsosays that she could refuse to heed his advances until the conversionof the Jews this, like the second flood, is a very unlikely event.The poem then continues with Marvell writing of avegetable love(Line 11)This love would continue to grow with time and the man and womansplatonic relationship would carry on without hindrance if only theyhad the time. If the man had forever then he could take the time to