we but world enough and time This coyness lady were no crime This means that if they had endless time her coyness shyness or reluctance would not matter He imagines a slow and luxurious love that would take thousands of years to unfold Fleeting Time and Mortality However the speaker quickly shifts his tone in the second stanza He introduces the reality of time and death He says But at my back I always hear Time's wing d chariot hurrying near This powerful metaphor represents time as a relentless force that is chasing them The speaker warns that if they wait too long death will come and all opportunities for love and pleasure will be lost He even uses morbid imagery to convince his beloved to have sex The speaker says Then worms shall try That long-preserved virginity This shocking line reminds the mistress that her beauty and purity will mean nothing in the grave The Urgency to Seize the Moment The final stanza provides the solution to this problem of limited time The speaker urges his beloved they seize the day opportunity and make the most of their youth The speaker urges his mistress to act now saying Now let us sport us while we may And now like amorous birds of prey Rather at once our time devour This comparison to birds of prey shows the passion and urgency of his plea The speaker believes that by living fully and embracing love they can defy time s control He concludes that while they cannot stop time they can make the most of it by living with passion and energy Carpe Diem Philosophy Throughout the poem Marvell blends romantic and sensual language with vivid imagery of time and mortality The speaker s argument reflects the carpe diem theme time is short so it is essential to embrace life s pleasures now The poem reminds us that youth and beauty are temporary and waiting too long can lead to missed opportunities In conclusion Andrew Marvell s To His Coy Mistress is a brilliant carpe diem poem It combines vivid imagery persuasive arguments and the theme of seizing the moment By urging the mistress to act before it is too late the speaker captures the essence of the carpe diem philosophy live for today because tomorrow is uncertain