"And tear our pleasures with rough strife"
"Thorough the iron gates of life"
Andrew Marvell uses many violent words to express violent imagery. In the first quote I gave the word "tear" is used to underscore how ruthless and violent the poem is. Marvell also encompasses words such as "devour" to further emphasize the violent imagery in the poem. Furthermore, the second quote demonstrates the phrase "carpe diem", or "seize the day." Going through the iron gates of life is seizing the day because the iron gates of life could be a hindrance to what one wants and by going through it, one obtains his/her object of desire.
I agree with what johnny says about the poem being violent. I think his use of violent words is to emphasize how strong his love is and also may have some sexual references. Going hand in hand with the idea of "carpe diem" that they should take advantage of the time they have share their time together.
ReplyDeletegood discussion about violence.
ReplyDeleteYes! Marvell's violent diction emphasizes a sexual passion unlike any other throughout the poem. Moreover, his change in tone illustrates a loyalty towards his lover, whether just emotional or physical. Evidently, however, Marvell's language is poignantly used to define this passage as a specific relation to the narrator's desires.
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