Characters and speaker

The poem “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell depicts two important characters: the speaker and the Lady whom the speaker loves.

The speaker

The speaker is clearly in a rush; he feels that his time on Earth is short and limited and that he should enjoy his Earthly stay for as long as he can. This is why he urges his loved one to leave her shyness aside:

“Had we but world enough, and time,
This coyness, Lady, were no crime.” (ll. 1-2)

The speaker is, clearly, extremely passionate:

“My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires, and more slow;” (ll. 11-12)

He associates his love with the Biblical time of the Flood and to the conversion of Jews to Christianity. She may refuse to be with the man, but he will love her just as much:

“Of Humber would complain. I would
Love you ten years before the Flood,
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews.” (ll. 7-10)

The speaker is also very impatient. He knows that his time on Earth is limited and he wishes to make the best of it. His plea takes a sombre tone in Stanza 2, where he depicts the changes death will bring:

“And your quaint honour turn to dust,
And into ashes all my lust:
The grave's a fine and private place,
But none, I think, do there embrace.” (ll. 29-32)

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