"To Autumn" by John Keats

 To His Coy Mistress

Had we but world enough and time,

This coyness, lady, were no crime.

We would sit down, and think which way

To walk, and pass our long love’s day.

Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side

Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide

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.

My vegetable love should grow

Vaster than empires and more slow;

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.

For, lady, you deserve this state,

Nor would I love at lower rate.

       But at my back I always hear

Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near;

And yonder all before us lie

Deserts of vast eternity.

Thy beauty shall no more be found;

Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound

My echoing song; then worms shall try

That long-preserved virginity,

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.

       Now therefore, while the youthful hue

Sits on thy skin like morning dew,

And while thy willing soul transpires

At every pore with instant fires,

Now let us sport us while we may,

And now, like amorous birds of prey,

Rather at once our time devour

Than languish in his slow-chapped power.

Let us roll all our strength and all

Our sweetness up into one ball,

And tear our pleasures with rough strife

Through the iron gates of life:

Thus, though we cannot make our sun

Stand still, yet we will make him run.

 "To His Coy Mistress" is a metaphysical poem written by Andrew Marvell in the 17th century. It is one of the most famous examples of carpe diem (seize the day) poetry, where the speaker urges his lover to make the most of their time together. Here's a breakdown of the poem:

Structure and Form

• Form: The poem is written in rhyming couplets, also known as heroic couplets (AABBCC...).
• Meter: It follows iambic tetrameter, which means each line typically has eight syllables with alternating unstressed and stressed syllables.

Themes

1. Carpe Diem: The central theme of the poem is to seize the day. The speaker argues that time is fleeting, and they should embrace their love before it's too late.
2. Mortality: The poem reflects on the inevitability of death and the passage of time, emphasizing the urgency of enjoying life now.
3. Love and Lust: The poem balances between genuine romantic love and physical desire, with the speaker using both to persuade his mistress.

Structure of Argument

The poem is often divided into three sections, each representing a different stage of the speaker's argument:

1. If We Had All the Time in the World (Lines 1-20)

   • The speaker begins by imagining a scenario where time is infinite. He tells his mistress that if they had forever, her coyness would not be a crime. He would spend thousands of years admiring each part of her body, starting with her eyes and moving down to her heart.
   • Example Lines:
     • "Had we but world enough, and time, / This coyness, lady, were no crime."

2. But Time is Limited (Lines 21-32)

   • The speaker then shifts to reality, emphasizing that time is, in fact, finite. He paints a grim picture of the future where they are both dead, and her beauty has turned to dust. The inevitability of death is used to create a sense of urgency.
   • Example Lines:
     • "But at my back I always hear / Time's wingèd chariot hurrying near."

3. Therefore, Let’s Seize the Day (Lines 33-46)

   • In the final section, the speaker urges his mistress to take advantage of the present moment. He suggests that they should indulge in their love and passion while they are still young and alive.
   • Example Lines:
     • "Now let us sport us while we may, / And now, like amorous birds of prey, / Rather at once our time devour / Than languish in his slow-chapped power."

Imagery and Language

• Hyperbole: The speaker uses exaggerated statements to emphasize his points, such as claiming he would love her for thousands of years.
• Metaphors: Time is often personified as a pursuer ("Time's wingèd chariot").
• Contrasts: The poem contrasts the idea of infinite time with the reality of time's limitations.

Stanza Summaries

1. First Stanza: Describes autumn's abundance.

   • Imagery: Vivid depictions of ripe fruits, swelling gourds, and blooming flowers.
   • Focus: The partnership between the sun and autumn to bring everything to full ripeness.
   • Examples:
     • "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, / Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;"

2. Second Stanza: Personifies autumn in various scenes.

   • Imagery: Autumn is depicted as a figure sitting on a granary floor, sleeping in a field, or watching a cider press.
   • Focus: The calm, peaceful, and slightly drowsy atmosphere of the season.
   • Examples:
     • "Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind; / Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,"

3. Third Stanza: Reflects on the sounds of autumn.

   • Imagery: Describes the end of the day with sounds of gnats, lambs, crickets, and birds.
   • Focus: The quiet, reflective, and melancholic aspects of autumn as the year draws to a close.
   • Examples:
     • "Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they? / Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—"