"That long-preserved virginity, and your quaint honor turn to dust,..." -"To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell
The interpretations with this poem are numerous and intriguing. It seems simple to understand but it leaves me with deeper questions and observations regarding style. Along the lines of the chapter emphasis, I feel that the tone is sincere love but it is punctuated by a pleading sense of urgency. The speaker sees some kind of fork in the road that his lover does not and acts on it. Of course after reading this work, I wondered why the mistress is acting coy, or reluctant. I believe it is a combination of several factors. She is in the common predicament of choosing to commit to a relationship versus remaining unattatched and shielding herself from hurt. Also, the quote above gives an explanation in regards to her lack of affection. This could be her first genuine love and she feels a need to preserve her state of purity. She has made a conscious choice to act morally above the rest and cherishes that reputation more than her prospective happiness with her lover. That brings up the question of why this man holds so much hope for the future. Does he actually see them having kids together, much less a future? I think the answer lies with the reader and their own hope of love.
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