Tuesday, March 15, 2011

TO HIS COY MISTRESS

Wow!

Men have been begging women to give in for a long time, huh?  And women have been playing hard to get for just as long, too.  What struck me the most about this poem is that it was, in my opinion, trying to pass itself off as a romantic declaration of love when in actuality is was a declaration of lust. For example:

            An hundred years should go to praise
            Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
            Two hundred to adore each breast,
            But thirty thousand to the rest;
            An age at least to every part,
            And the last age should show your heart.
 
So he will take thousands of years to admire her face and her body and once they lose their luster, then the heart will have to do.  His urgency to pressure her into a intimate relationship is so obvious.  And I think that she likes it.  Being coy is different from outright rejection.

3 comments:

  1. You are right to make a distinction between coyness and outright rejection. There is an almost anticipated acquiescence. However, I do wonder whether or no the sense of urgency is a result of lust or love.

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  2. Sounds like lust to me...especially when he brings death into the equation...they both seem pretty healthy to me.

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  3. Dear Felicia,
    You brought the word "coy" to my attention. Although I assumed it meant "flirtatious," the dictionary defined it as "affectedly shy or reserved; modest; reluctant to reveal one's plans, make a commitment, or take a stand." For me, this definition characterizes the woman in question as one who has not made up her mind. Not necessarily with "anticipated acquiescence" as David suggests, but not necessarily leading the man on with her indecisiveness either. Perhaps the young man would have better luck if he focused on her attributes and her interests instead of being so concerned about his own needs. That approach usually encourages and expedites any relationship.

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