Unto Death Do Us Part - Poetry Blog 4

The first thing that caught my attention when reading this poem was the title. “To His Coy Mistress.” When I first read this I asked myself the question; what does the poet mean by coy? I got the impression that the poet’s mistress must be shy. The poet describes how he would spend his time with his mistress throughout the next several lines. “We would sit down and think which way/ To walk, and pass our long love’s day./ Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side/ Should’st rubies find; I by the tide/ of Humber would complain. I would/ Love you ten years before the Flood,” (lines 3-8). I also got the impression that the poet is from India. This is because of his mention of the “Indian Ganges” in line five. I found it interesting how the poet worded lines eleven and twelve. “My vegetable love should grow/ Vaster than empires, and more slow.” (lines 11-12). I then realized why the poet described his love as a vegetable. This is because his was growing for his mistress much like vegetable grows. I liked how the poet described his love for his mistress throughout the rest of the poem. From discussing how long he would love her to what he would do with her were they together. I found the last few lines very intriguing. “And tear our pleasures with rough strife/ Throrough the iron gates of life./ Thus, though we cannot make our sun/ Stand still, yet we will make him run.” (lines 43-46). The poet seems to be saying that he would love his mistress until death. I found this a very powerful statement and got the impression that the two were either married or were going to be in the near future.