The Love Collection: "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell

"To His Coy Mistress" is an example of a carpe diem poem, a poem that encourages someone to live to the fullest because life is short. Here, the speaker encourages his beloved to give in to his romantic overtures.

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. coy
    showing marked and often playful evasiveness or reluctance
    Had we but world enough and time,
    This coyness, lady, were no crime.
  2. conversion
    a change of religion
    I would
    Love you ten years before the flood,
    And you should, if you please, refuse
    Till the conversion of the Jews.
  3. chariot
    a two-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle
    But at my back I always hear
    Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near;
    And yonder all before us lie
    Deserts of vast eternity.
  4. yonder
    in an indicated distant place
    But at my back I always hear
    Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near;
    And yonder all before us lie
    Deserts of vast eternity.
  5. vast
    unusually great in size or amount or extent or scope
    But at my back I always hear
    Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near;
    And yonder all before us lie
    Deserts of vast eternity.
  6. eternity
    time without end
    But at my back I always hear
    Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near;
    And yonder all before us lie
    Deserts of vast eternity.
  7. vault
    a burial chamber (usually underground)
    Thy beauty shall no more be found;
    Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
    My echoing song
  8. try
    put to the test, as for its quality
    ...then worms shall try
    That long-preserved virginity,
    And your quaint honour turn to dust,
    And into ashes all my lust
  9. quaint
    attractively old-fashioned
    ...then worms shall try
    That long-preserved virginity,
    And your quaint honour turn to dust,
    And into ashes all my lust
  10. honor
    a woman's virtue or chastity
    ...then worms shall try
    That long-preserved virginity,
    And your quaint honour turn to dust,
    And into ashes all my lust
  11. embrace
    squeeze tightly in your arms, usually with fondness
    The grave’s a fine and private place,
    But none, I think, do there embrace.
  12. hue
    the quality of a color determined by its dominant wavelength
    Now therefore, while the youthful hue
    Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
    And while thy willing soul transpires
    At every pore with instant fires,
    Now let us sport us while we may
  13. transpire
    give off (water) through the skin
    Now therefore, while the youthful hue
    Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
    And while thy willing soul transpires
    At every pore with instant fires,
    Now let us sport us while we may
  14. pore
    any small opening in the skin or outer surface of an animal
    Now therefore, while the youthful hue
    Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
    And while thy willing soul transpires
    At every pore with instant fires,
    Now let us sport us while we may
  15. amorous
    inclined toward or displaying love
    And now, like amorous birds of prey,
    Rather at once our time devour
    Than languish in his slow-chapped power.
  16. devour
    eat greedily
    And now, like amorous birds of prey,
    Rather at once our time devour
    Than languish in his slow-chapped power.
  17. languish
    become feeble
    And now, like amorous birds of prey,
    Rather at once our time devour
    Than languish in his slow-chapped power.
  18. strife
    bitter conflict; heated or violent dissension
    Let us roll all our strength and all
    Our sweetness up into one ball,
    And tear our pleasures with rough strife
    Through the iron gates of life:
    Thus, though we cannot make our sun
    Stand still, yet we will make him run.
Created on Fri Oct 06 11:29:51 EDT 2017 (updated Fri Oct 06 12:02:49 EDT 2017)

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