A Feminist Approach in 17-Century Poem, Andrew Marvel - Book Report/Review Example

To His Coy mistress: A feminist approach to the reading In his 17-century poem, Andrew Marvel addresses a vital theme, one that interests humans to date. Sex is a fundamental topic that has remained pivotal in human life throughout the centuries. The topic is relevant to the modern society just as it was in the 17th century. In doing this, the poet analyzes the role of seduction using words and techniques of seductions most of which have remained the same throughout the centuries. He builds a near perfect relationship between a chauvinist male and a hesitant woman. The man, therefore, strives to seduce the woman in an attempt to have sex with her. The man makes his desires known and describes the woman’s body in a lustful manner. Furthermore, he speaks with urgency in his voice. Through his words, he paints the picture of an adamant woman who strives to protect her rights and dignity as the discussion below portrays. Feminism refers to the advocacy of fairness and equality in the treatment of women politically, economically and socially. For a long time men viewed themselves as stronger as and better than their female counterparts. Women reacted by seeking an equal environment. In doing this, women protected their sexuality among other features that made them appear weak. The same is the case in the poem. The man approaches the woman with an urgency and a demeaning attitude expecting the woman who he considers a weaker being to accept his advances. However, as the poem advances, the woman proves her strength and intelligence thus proving that she could defend herself from the exploitative males in the society. Right from the second line the man refers to the coyness of the woman, “This coyness, Lady, were no crime”. This portrays his attitude even as he approaches the woman. He expected the shyness to be a sign of weakness and did not therefore expect any resistance from her. However, the woman uses her shyness to present her unwillingness to have sex with the man. After sensing the resistance from the woman, he begins pleading with the woman. He reminds her that they did not have enough time to delay the act. The first stanza proves the pro-feminist nature of the poem by placing the woman in control. Her actions influence the words the man says. The man begins by being seductive. Sensing resistance, he resorts to threats and abuses both of which are in vain. The woman remains in control and unperturbed by the man’s assaults (Guerin, Labor, and Willingham 76). The man began seductively but easily turned abusive. He expresses his disappointment “Nor in thy marble vault shall sound my echoing song” (Line 26). He also curses the woman by disregarding her virginity, “then worms shall try that long preserved virginity” (line 27-28). The man’s actions show his defeat and helplessness while proving that the woman was strong and in control of her sexuality. As explained earlier, he began seductively a feature, which showed his respect for the woman. However, his tone reveals an attitude. He does not value the woman and remains seductive since he believes that it was the only way to achieve his advances. When both attempts failed since, the woman was in control of her sexuality and sought to defend her dignity the man sought to abuse her. Abusing the woman and referring to her virginity in a demeaning manner is a show of the woman’s strength. While he expected to achieve his desires easily since he believed that women were of a weaker sex, the man becomes disappointed when this does not happen. Sadder still is the fact that the woman puts the man down, and he cannot do anything either to convince her otherwise or to force her into having sex. This dispels the notion that women were weaker and that the men could have their way with women at their convenience. The woman in the poem is a practical being who resists verbal advances. She senses the pride and prejudice in the man’s voice and therefore puts him down from the beginning. An equally important feature in the poem that portrays its pro feminist approach is the strategic portrayal of the speaker, a man, as irrational, foolish and arrogant all of which are traits of a weak individual. The man praises the woman’s beauty and acknowledges her graceful personality, “for lady you deserve the state” (line 20). The praises justify the man’s desires since he points out the features that attracted him. It thus becomes foolhardy to abuse the same features he admired. He disregards the woman’s body by wishing death upon it claiming that she will lose the beauty just as soon as she dies, “ Thy beauty shall no more be found” (line 25). Such reckless statements show the man’s irrationality and inability to accept defeat. The man refuses to think long term. He approached the woman with a sense of urgency. In addition, he expresses his desire to have sex with the woman without loving her. He is a lustful chauvinist who believes that he can get any woman whenever he wanted to. The man’s mindset is a representation of the society in which he lived. Men felt superior to the women. They could demand sex from women since the society permitted them. The speaker in the poem, therefore, adopts such a myopic mindset as he approaches the woman and demands for sexual relations. He does not justify his advances and is not affectionate at all. As such, the woman cannot fall in love with him. Key among his points of arguments was that they did not have enough time and space to waste courting. He therefore demand sex since it was a spontaneous desire. The lack of vision in him and his inability to think of long term goals in such basic institution as a relationship with a woman shows utter stupidity and profound shortsightedness. The fact that the woman observes the man’s irrational approach and stupidity portrays the woman as more intelligent and rational. While she does not speak, she ignores the man’s advances and even abuses. She reacts to the abuses by staying calm and ignoring them. This portrays her disinterest in the man and her ability to defend her position. The poet compares the woman to a “marble vault”. She is charming but remains cold and closed to the man. This portrays her strength and intelligence. She knows when to open up and when to stay closed. The man does not appeal to her; she therefore remains cold in an attempt to repel him. She remains closed even as the man sounds derogative since she understands that violence does not always solve any differences. In retrospect, To His Coy mistress is an artistic masterpiece. The poet employs strategic and effective literary devices that enhance the meaning in the poem. The tone varies in the plot depending on the conflicts. In such an artistic display of his prowess in the art, Andrew Marvel adopts a feminist approach in the poem. The persona in the poem is a weak man who cannot seduce a woman successfully. Furthermore, he cannot accept defeat. He easily abuses the woman who appears more intelligent than the man does. Works cited Guerin, L. Wilfred., Labor, Earle and Willingham, R. John. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. London: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print. Read More