The intention of this essay is to describe and comment the different variety of human feelings that Andrew Marvell shows in his whole poetry production and to relate them to the poetry genre that is used in each case. The work of Marvell (1621 - 1678) can be classified as metaphysical poetry, a term used to refer to the production of British lyric poets that were contemporary to Marvell. Metaphysical poets were distinguished by their interest in metaphysical matters and by their great ability of using the metaphor as well. As mentioned, they were lyric poets also, so their poems are full of personal and emotional feelings and are short and intense in expression as well, rarely telling a story. Marvell's poetry is ingenious and has plenty of elaborate conceits in an elegant style. Many compositions were inspired by events of the time, social or personal. Other reputed poets of this period are Aphra Behn or John Milton. The most famous poems of Andrew Marvell are To His Coy Mistress, The Garden, An Horatian Ode upon Cromwell's Return from Ireland and Upon Appleton House. These are in great measure the poems that we are going to focus on.
This poem is largely concentrated in politics, but it also contains enthusiasm and passion that can be found in the next stanza:
"'Tis time to leave the books in dust,
And oil the unused armour's rust,
Removing from the wall
The corslet of the hall."
Faith and desire to triumph in the war are also commonly expressed in other verses, making this poem a hope and an ode to Cromwell and his soldiers in order to instigate them to keep fighting for their values. These feelings can be related to epic poetry, the genre that this composition is about.
The next poem that we are going to interpret is Upon Appleton House (1651), as we are commenting in a chronological order. The composition describes Lord Fairfax's Nunappleton lands and exposes the political and religious issues of the time. The verses can't hide the interest of Marvell in the Lord's daughter, Maria.
However, Bill Philips (1993, 143) provides a second vision: "It is generally assumed that the poem is a tribute to General Fairfax and his house and family. While these are important to the poem, as well as weighty political and religious considerations of the time, I wish to argue that it is primarily about the poet himself. Biographical interpretations of Marvell's poetry have been discouraged by some critics but in the case of Upon Appleton House, with its unequivocal references to real people, including Andrew Marvell himself, a strong case can be made for such an interpretation." Upon Appleton House is a country house poem, a type of composition that was popular in the 17th century where the author describes and praises the country house of a rich friend or landowner. The next verses are an extraction of the poem that we are going to comment, bearing in mind the human feelings that are expressed in it:
"But all things are composed here
Like Nature, orderly and near:
In which we the Dimensions find
Of that more sober Age and Mind,
When larger sized Men did stoop
To enter at a narrow loop;
As practising, in doors so strait,
To strain themselves through Heavens Gate."
The admiration towards the house's environment and exaltation of it are shown in a huge way: Marvell is saying that everything in Lord Fairfax's property is perfectly ordered, like nature itself. Moreover, he is comparing entering its land with going through Heaven's gate. This is also a very good example of manifesting emotion. Those feelings answer to the contemplative and, in extension, admirative subgenre of lyric poetry, an observative way of composing.
Another famous poetic composition of Andrew Marvell, published posthumously, is The Garden. He exposes in it his mystical vision, metaphysical as well. However, the poem is not focused on God, but on an apreciation of the divine work. Marvell denies the integrity of the lovers' world; nevertheless, integrity is possible in the loneliness of meditation within nature. This poem deals with pastoralism and then makes a statement related to the ideas of Plato, saying that his personal freedom will be his soul escaping from its physical prison, the body. Just two verses of the composition express the opposition of feelings shown in the poem: the contempt which Marvell feels towards the earthly world that we live in and the joy and inner peace of the calm and solitary reflection.
"Society is all but rude,
To this delicious solitude."
We can link this type of expression to lyric poetry, since there are aspects of the genre clearly shown, as the intense expression of emotional thoughts, for instance, and it is an ode.
The next poem that we are going to comment and explain is To His Coy Mistress, the most famous composition of his work. Marvell adresses to a woman who is not decided yet to accept his sexual propositions. The first stanza expresses how the author would love her if they disposed of an endless amount of time. However, he can't be waiting forever. In the second stanza, Marvell tries to convince her arguing that they have to seize the moment and their youth, life is short and she will lose her chance. The last verses encourage her to accept his proposition, because they will enjoy all the time they have left if they love each other with passion. A part where Marvell shows a lot of intense feelings is when he starts to list her body parts and admire them saying how many time he would praise them if they had unlimited time:
"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."
These verses show how deep is the passion and desire of the author. The lust that he feels is explicit, enumerating every part of her body and expressing his admiration and justifying it with one of the last compliments: "you deserve this state". Another part where the poet is expressing emotions is at the end of the composition. His last attempt to persuade her tries to transmit her the energy that the youth provides him and the love that pushes him before their time expires:
"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-chapt power."
The human feelings have always been fundamental in the lyric poetry of all time. An essential part of the metaphysical work of the 17th century British poets was to transmit them. They used images and metaphors to do it, along with intellectual humour: "The grave's a fine and private place, but none, I think, do there embrace." (extracted from To His Coy Mistress, it's referring to the fact that if she doesn't decide to accept him, they'll never have enough time to love each other). On the other hand, it is true that a lot of metaphysical poets were focused on Platonic ideas, so they used their work to describe the perfection of an abstract concept, such as beauty, instead of showing their feelings. Nevertheless, they made up for it in their love poems, where they showed all the emotions that they had inside. In conclusion, human feelings and its expression will always be present in all types of poetry, specially in lyric poetry.
