00;"> he talks about spiritual love that cannot come true. In both poems, he mixes deep emotions (passion) with logical thinking (intellect). Here we take a closer look at Marvell’s treatment of love in his poems.

Love in “To His Coy Mistress”: In this poem, Marvell is talking to a shy lady (his “coy mistress”). He tries to convince her to enjoy love with him before it is too late. It is a “carpe diem” poem. At first, he says that if they had so much time, he would wait forever to praise her beauty and win her love. He would spend hundreds of years praising her eyes, breasts, and each part of her beauty. He says:

“An hundred years should go to praise

Thine eyes,...”

But then he changes the tone. He says that time is running fast. He hears “Time’s winged chariot hurrying near.” This means death is coming closer every minute. After death, there will be no more beauty or love. So, he says to his coy mistress that they should love each other now, while they are young. So, in this poem, Marvell suggests that life is short and we must enjoy love and life quickly, before time and death stop it. 

Love in “The Definition of Love”: This poem is about a very different kind of love. Here, the speaker says his love is deep and pure, but also painful. He says his painful love was born from “Despair” and “Impossibility.” This means his love can never be fulfilled. The speaker blames Fate for this sadness. He says Fate becomes jealous when it sees two perfect loves. So, Fate cannot allow them to come close to each other. As Marvell writes:

“For Fate with jealous eye does see

Two perfect loves, nor lets them close;”

So, in this poem, Marvell shows a spiritual love that can never be fulfilled.

Passion and Thought: Andrew Marvell’s treatment of love is special because he mixes passion (strong feelings) with thought (clever and logical ideas) in his poems. For example, in “To His Coy Mistress,” the speaker is full of passion. He wants to enjoy love with his mistress before time runs out. So, the speaker uses logic to convince her. He says that time is passing quickly and death is always coming closer. Nobody can enjoy love after death in a grave. He says:

“The grave’s a fine and private place,

But none, I think, do there embrace.”

So, they should enjoy love while they are still young. This shows Marvell’s clever use of reasoning in a love poem.

In “The Definition of Love,” the speaker talks about his painful love, which can never be fulfilled. He uses ideas like Fate, parallel lines, and the distant poles. These are very thoughtful and smart ideas. He says Fate keeps the lovers far away from each other, like at the North Pole and South Pole.

“Us as the distant poles have plac'd”

So, in these poems, Marvell wonderfully blends passion and thought to express love.

Use of Conceit: A conceit is a clever, surprising comparison between two very different things. Marvell’s use of conceits makes his poems amazing. In “The Definition of Love,” Marvell compares the two lovers with parallel lines. Parallel lines go side by side forever but never touch. This shows that the lovers can never come close to each other.

“…Truly parallel,

Though infinite, can never meet.”

In fine, Andrew Marvell’s treatment of love is very special. He uses deep passion and logical thought to love his beloved. He also shows the pain of unfulfilled love. Marvell uses clever comparisons to express deep feelings in his love poems. This makes his poems deep, beautiful, and memorable.