Poems to study
To His Coy Mistress (Marvell)
To His Mistress Going to Bed (Donne)
The sun rising(Donne)
Questions on context
• How do the poets use ideas to make their points?
Describe how the poets use ideas and concepts from
their time to make their points.
America
New found lands
The court - royalty
Gems – rubies
Rivers
Biblical beliefs/times
Time: The future
Eternity
• How do these references create a sense of the time in
which the poems were written?
Questions
• How does Marvell use cleverness and complicated
conceits to put pressure on his mistress?
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Time
Death
Vaults - eternity
Vanity – ( the women’s)
Religion
Books-pictures - mythology
Questions
How do the poets express their passion for their mistresses?
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Tone
Temperature – Heat/cold
Physical description – comparison - simile - metaphor
Lasciviousness
Their own physical state
Wit
Pomp and ceremony - court and royalty
Time and space the whole wide world vs. the here and now
Questions
• How does the structure of the poems
contribute to their meaning?
• How do the different stanzas
change/contribute to the ‘story’ –
construction of the poem?
• Try to connect the opening and closing
lines of the poems
Poetic devices + effects
• Use of shape – visual effects
• Use of punctuation, enjambment – short end stopped
lines/phrases
• Sound: alliteration, onomatopoeia, assonance, repetition
• Verse structure
• Chorus or refrain
• Form – sonnet – monologue – epic -other
• Figurative writing - similes - metaphors - personification
• Analogy
• Wit
• Conceit
• Emotion
• Brevity
Over view
Think about how the poets establish the following:
•Mood
•Character
•Relationships
•Situations
•Attitudes
•Motives
Think about social, historical and cultural contexts
Move from the specific to the general – apply the detail micro
analysis to the whole, macro analysis.
Andrew Marvell
Andrew Marvell, the son of a vicar, was born at Winestead-in-Holderness, in 1621. He
was a close contemporary of Shakespeare. When he was a child the family moved to
Hull and Marvell attended the local grammar school. In 1633 Marvell went to Trinity
College, Cambridge.
• After leaving university Marvell toured Europe visiting Holland,
France, Italy and Spain. Although he spent most of the Civil War out
of the country he was a strong supporter of Parliament and in 1650
he wrote a poem praising Oliver Cromwell, Horatian Ode Upon
Cromwell's Return from Ireland.
Oliver Cromwell was born into the Huntingdon
Gentry. He was descended from a sister of Thomas
Lord Cromwell, the unpopular Minister of King
Henry VIII. His ancestor called Williams changed
his name to benefit from a connection to the rising
politician. the family subsequently lived as minor
gentry. Cromwell, after marriage, entered
Parliament in 1628. At this time the franchise (right
to vote) was open to very few so generally it was
members of the aristocracy and gentry who formed
the bulk of Members of Parliament. He was a
Puritan in religion and politics in days when it was
expected that the two would be part of the same
thing. So as a Puritan he found himself standing
firmly with the opposition to Charles I.
•Marvel also worked as tutor to the children of Sir Thomas Fairfax. His poem,
Upon Appleton House, celebrated the retirement of Fairfax from the world of
public affairs
With the help of his friend, John Milton, Marvell became Assistant Latin Secretary
to the Council of State in 1657. Two years later he was elected to the House of
Commons where he represented Hull.
John Milton – author – writer of
Paradise Lost. Currently used as the
title of the trilogy ‘His Dark Materials’ by
Phillip Pullman.
Milton became blind and dictated the
book, in iambic pentameter to an
amanuensis.
The story is about the battle between
God and the Devil, and the story of the
fall of man.
MP and anti-royalist
After the Restoration Marvell was an outspoken
critic of the government of Charles II. Marvell was
especially opposed to its failure to promote
religious toleration. During this period he spent
much of his time living in Russia, Sweden and
Denmark.
Andrew Marvell died of tertian ague in 1678. Three years later his book,
Miscellaneous Poems, was published. This included Marvell's most famous
work, the love poem To His Coy Mistress.
Facts
•America was still a new found land – recently discovered
•Marvell, like Milton, would have a good knowledge of the Bible, and Bible stories
•The Flood was the flood in the Bible which ended with Noah building his ark
•The River Humber – one of the largest in England
•Ganges – the sacred river in India
The word ‘coy’ means shy, pure, unwilling…
‘Mistress’ means his girlfriend – the woman he hopes will
become his mistress…
The poem is an attempt to persuade her to sleep with
him…
It’s also meant for public consumption as a way of showing
off, being clever, smart, and witty….
He’s trying to show all his knowledge of the big wide
world…
John Donne
John Donne was born to a prosperous London ironmonger (also named John
Donne), in 1572. The Donne's were Catholic, and young John was educated by
Jesuits. His father died when he was young, and he was raised by his mother,
Elizabeth.
At the age of 11, John Donne went to Hart Hall at Oxford University, where he
studied for 3 years, and then proceeded to Cambridge University for another 3
years. Donne did not take a degree at either university, because as a Catholiche
could not take the required Oath of Supremacy at graduation.
After Cambridge, Donne studied law at Lincoln's Inn in London. His faith was
badly shaken when his younger brother Henry died in prison, where he had been
sent for sheltering a Catholic priest. Donne's first literary work, Satires, was
written during this period. This was followed by Songs and Sonnets. a collection
of love poems that enjoyed considerable success through private circulation.
Donne gained a comfortable inheritance, which he proceeded to spend in
profligate fashion on "wine, women, and song". He joined the Earl of Essex's raid
on Cadiz in 1596, and an expedition to the Azores the following year.
On his return Donne became private secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton, Lord
Keeper of the Great Seal. His chances of career advancement were destroyed
when he secretly married Anne More, daughter of Sir George More. Anne's
enraged father had Donne thrown into Fleet Prison for several weeks, and Egerton
dismissed him from his post.
Donne's marriage was a happy one, despite constant financial worries. With
typical wry wit, Donne described his life with Anne as "John Donne, Anne
Donne, Undone". Finally, in 1609, George More was induced to relent and pay
his daughter's dowry. In the meantime Donne worked as a lawyer, and
produced Divine Poems (1607).
Donne's final break with his Catholic past came with the publication of PseudoMartyr (1610) and Ignatius his Conclave. These works won him the favour of
King James, who pressured him to take Anglican orders. Donne reluctantly
agreed, and in 1615 he was appointed Royal Chaplain, and the following year
he gained the post of Reader in Divinity at Lincoln's Inn. There his fierce wit and
learning made Donne one of the popular preachers of his day.
Then in 1617 Anne Donne died in giving birth to the couple's 12th child. Her
death affected Donne greatly, though he continued to write, notably Holy
Sonnets (1618).
In 1621 Donne was appointed Dean of St. Paul's, a post he held for the
remainder of his life. In his final years Donne's poems reflect an obsession with
his own death, which came on March 31, 1631.
John Donne is remembered for the wit and poignancy of his poetry, though in
his own time he was known as much for his mesmerizing sermons and
preaching style.
John Donne 1572 – 31 March 1631) was a Jacobean poet, preacher and
a major representative of the metaphysical poets of the period. His works
are notable for their realistic and sensual style and include sonnets, love
poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,
satires and sermons. His poetry is noted for its vibrancy of language and
inventiveness of metaphor, especially as compared to those of his
contemporaries.
He came from a Catholic family, but converted to the Anglican church.
Despite his great education and poetic talents he lived in poverty for
several years, relying heavily on wealthy friends. In 1615 he became an
Anglican priest and, in 1621, was appointed the Dean of St Paul's
Cathedral in London.
Some scholars believe that Donne's literary works reflect these trends, with
love poetry and satires from his youth, and religious sermons during his
later years.
Compare the ways the poets write about love in the two
poems you have studied.
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Either: Start with a statement – establish your case – ‘Donne is purely
sexually motivated, Marvell is in love’ deal with each poem separately.
Or: Launch straight in and write about both at the same time: ‘Whilst Donne
starts his poem with an order, ’Come madam come’ Marvell starts with a
conditional statement, ‘If we had world enough and time.’ Both poets are
engaged with seduction, but their approach varies, whereas Marvell pleads,
Donne demands…’
Deal with:
Content/subject matter
Point of view/voice
Structure
Openings/endings
Moments of change
Imagery – similes, personification, metaphor
Language – sounds, onomatopoeia/alliteration/choice of words/phrases
Personal response
NB PEE
A possible structure
• Introduction – set out your case – what
you think the similarities and differences
are
• Deal with each poet separately – each
poem making your points and supporting
them with textual reference
• Write a conclusion – tie together all the
points you have made