To His Coy Mistress - Andrew Marvell - Revision Notes in A Level and IB English Literature

(1621-1678) Renaissance/ Restoration
In the 1650s, the British Empire has its teeth firmly sunk into the land of India.
Andrew Marvell was an active politician during this period.
The poem briefly alludes to imperialism. The "Indian Ganges" and "rubies," when taken together in this context, can be symbols of imperialism
The colonialists, by way of rubies and India, become a metaphor for the mistress. She steals rubies from the Indian people. She steals sex from the speaker, by not having it with him.
Concerned with the full range of motion, including stillness.
The motion helps the poem pick up speed, and the stillness lets us catch our breath and reflect for moments before we rush on.
His portrayal of stillness isn’t very positive, while his moments of action are full of excitement and challenge, suggesting that our speaker is all about action.
The speaker’s declaration that (if he had time) he…

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