FREE ESSAY ON CAVALIER AND METAPHYSICAL POETRY'S SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

CAVALIER AND METAPHYSICAL POETRY'S SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

The seventeenth century lyric poems, such as Robert Herrick's Cavalier poem "Counsel to
Girls," and Andrew Marvell's metaphysical poem "To His Coy Mistress" are similar in many
ways; yet also contrast in some aspects. These poems of love and life can be summarized
in the quote, "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still afyling..." from
"Counsel to Girls." This quote embodies the theme of Carpe Diem shared in these poems.
Robert Herrick's "Counsel to Girls" is a Cavalier poem written in the seventeenth
century. In the poem, the speaker is an elderly person with life experience. The speaker
is talking to a younger woman about life and love. The speaker tells the younger person
to enjoy life while she can, because it will go away. In this lyric poem, several
instances of personification are used, such as the "Lamp of Heaven." The lamp, or sun, is
personified as life. The poet uses the sun's positions to represent phases of life. Sun
rise is youth and sun set is death, which is coming quickly. The overall theme of this
poem is Carpe Diem.
Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" is a passionate metaphysical poem. Marvell, the
speaker is attempting to get a young woman to stop being coy. He tries to get her to love
him and personifies their love growing like vegetables. Marvell also personifies time
when he says that time slowly eats away love. He wants her to seize the day and love him
in return.
Both poems are similar and unlike in many aspects. Both have similar Carpe Diem themes.
Both poems also deal with a form of unrequited love. Also, the two poems share the same
genre as lyric poems. The lyric poems also stress the value of youth. The quote, "Time's
winged chariot hurrying near..." from "To His Coy Mistress" means that time cannot last
forever, that the subject should enjoy her youth and seize the day. From "Counsel to
Girls," the quote, "Tomorrow will be dying," is the same overall idea that Marvell uses
in "To His Coy Mistress." Although similar in some ways, the poems also contrast in
several ways. The tone in "To His Coy Mistress" is much more urgent than the
light-hearted tone of "Counsel to Girls." Both of these poems use different speakers
also. Marvell uses himself in his metaphysical poem, but in most Cavalier poems the
speakers are often a person with experience in life and the obstacles of love. Although
very similar in many ways, there is still a fine line between Cavalier and metaphysical
poetry.