lthough Marvell tries to equate his love for his mistress to plants, his argument is undermined by a plant?s biological incapableness of contemplation and reciprocal physical affection. Nevertheless, the speaker continues his praises of love, but points out that there is not enough time for further praise because time is passing quickly.The poem then acquires a more serious tone when the poem loses its exaggerations and embellishments. He reassures his coy mistress that ?you deserve this state? of praise and high acknowledgment, But at my back I always hearTime?s wingd chariot hurrying near. (21-22)Rather than explicitly saying death is near, Marvell substitutes life?s bleakness with a ?winged chariot.? He slowly becomes more frustrated with her ?long-preserved virginity? and tires to inform his mistress that death is near and they still have not had intercourse. His frustration can be seen in his sexual pun on the word ?quaint? which symbolically refers to female genitalia. The intense imagery of genitalia is again echoed when Marvell describes to his coy mistress that even after death the ?worms shall try that long-preserved virginity? (27-28). Here the worms take on a phallic symbol, reinforcing his sexual desires. The speaker abstractly states that holding onto her virginity will do her no good because she will be raped by worms and her virtue will turn to dust after she is dead. The last stanza is a plea for love when her urges her to act upon their love and says:Let us roll all our strength and all Our sweetness up into one ballAnd tear our pleasures with rough strifeThrough the iron gates of life? (41-44) Through the imagery in this stanza Marvell seems irritated by the pressures of time, and the stubbornness of his coy mistress. Marvell uses action words and images to portray his short patience such as ?instant fires?, ?birds of prey?, and ?time devour? (36-39). These images and the excessive use of the word ?now? cre...
