Title and summary of the poem "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell

      In the very title the word 'coy' is used which means shy. Here it is used in a specific meaning that the lady-love is not at all responsive to his lover's call of making love. According to the poet lover we should enjoy every moment of our life as it is very precious and we don't have much time to think. The poem is completely based on the philosophy of "carpedium" which means enjoy yourself when you are young. Here another philosophy is used i.e. "gather ye rose buds while ye may". The complete poem is based on the poet's urge to his beloved to break her coyness and make love when it is not too late. So the title is quite apt for the poem.

        On the other hand if we talk about it's Subject or theme, it is quite clear that it is all about love. The theme of love is very common in the then time. But Marvell makes it very interesting by using a different idea, by his language of love. The poet lover requests to his beloved who is shy and reluctant to enjoy their love as now they are young and the time is continuously flowing. So if it is gone, it will never return back. He wants to make his loved one realize that they don't have infinite time and space. Marvell also uses very appropriate conceit to make his point more clear. The lover is very much romantic and he says to his love that he would begin to love her from the point of time that preceded the Biblical deluge by ten years and continue to do so till the end of the world predicted in the Bible. He even would write poems to describe her beauty. But the point is that he hears the sound of the "chariot-wheels" of approaching death. It will take their beauty, honour, love, vigour everything into the grave. So he wants that they should enjoy their love now to the end. 

     In this poem there is a strong message of reality that everything and everybody is going towards death. No one is immortal. So we should enjoy our time when it is possible. There is no need to regret for anything after it is gone. It is a fine example of metaphysical poem where we can enjoy thoughts and feelings simultaneously. The spirit of the poem is minutely summed up in the lines of Carew:

   "O love me then and now begin it. Let us not lose the present minute."