The 17th century was a time of great upheaval and change in England. As King Charles and Parliament waged a political war against one another, the repercussions were felt in the hearts and minds of every Englishmen. One of these men was Andrew Marvell, an esteem writer who was part of the second generation of Metaphysical poets. Through his writings we get a concrete sense of the emotional distress that resounded from the royal throne. The purpose of this essay will be to analyze Marvell's poem "To His Coy Mistress" in an attempt to understand the effects of England's political turmoil on the emotion of love

The theme of Marvell's poem can be summed up in two words: "Carpe diem" which is Greek for "seize the moment". Throughout the poem Marvell places a great deal of emphasis on "seizing" the love he feels for his young mistress. This type of feeling can be attributed at least in some part to the turbulence that was besieging his country. With the political jihad that was going on between the King and Parliament, Marvell's sentiments are likely to have arisen from the feelings of insecurity that he (and presumably most English men) felt about their country and their lives during that time. These same feelings, when translated into verse, come across as a message of love that seems at times abrupt or at the very least rushed.

In the first section of the poem we see the author presenting his Lady with an unrealistic option for their love. He begins by telling her that if only they had an eternity of time, then, it would be acceptable for his young mistress to be reserved. If only they had the all the time in the world, then, they could walk as lovers along the shores of life discovering the "rubies" that represent the treasure of true love. That even if his coy Lady should refuse him for an inconceivable amount of time (i.e. until the conversion of the Jews) that there would still be enough time left for his love to grow for her just as the plant grows a little bit more with the passing of the seasons. His desire to love his Lady is made nearly complete when he offers to parcel out the centuries in adoring praise to her, for to do any less would not be fitting for the woman who has forever captured his heart.

However, Marvell is not ignorant of the intense and chaotic situations surrounding his life and it this reality that brings "time's winged chariot" with its inescapable consequences. In the second section of the poem Marvell makes known the limits of time and how they have bound the jubilant recesses of his great love. The feelings of insecurity from England's political chaos now find their way into Marvell's prose as the one thing that can extinguish the flame of an undying love - death. For Marvell, death can never hope to diminish the beauty of his Lady but, it has the power to eternally part him from his true love. All of his lust and "echoing songs" along with all of her "long preserved virginity" and "quaint honor" will be reduced to mere ashes and dust in the sarcophagus of a lost love.

Pitted against the pain of separation that could be caused by death, Marvell uses the final section of the poem to urge his love to grasp this moment when they can be together in ephemeral bliss. In essence, to seize the opportunity to be with one another just like the birds of prey who both ensnare and devour their quarry all in one parsimonious action. In one last momentous show of affection Marvell tantalizes his love with a picture of how strong and mighty their love for one another can be. Enough to even break through the "iron gates of life" that seem to imprison the entire country. Furthermore, even if they must concede their bodies to the earth someday, they can still use this time they have to make their love shine as bright as the morning sun.

In conclusion, Andrew Marvell's poem "To His Coy Mistress" is a romantic expression of the true and undying love that the author feels for his beloved Lady in the midst of the political turmoil that is rocking his country. This turmoil has created in innate sense of insecurity in the author which is reflected in the thematic emphasis in the poem. For Marvell, he must seize this precious moment of true love for his mistress. Although it would be his fondest hope that they could spend an eternity together, in reality the author knows that time is running out and that death looms around the corner, waiting to snatch them apart from one another. Thus, he is left with but one hope, that his love will join him in seizing the moment; for he knows that the strength of their love will be enough to "run" past the troubles of their hearts and beyond the woes of their land.