Imagery and symbolism in To his Coy Mistress

Like Donne's poetry, Marvell's poetry is packed with images. We have examined just a few: the vegetable love; ‘Times winged Charriot'; and the birds of prey, for example. In one sense, the conceits are not difficult, or based on some arcane knowledge of science or philosophy, as Donne's sometimes are. However, they are so loaded with meaning and associations, that it can take time to appreciate their full impact.

Macabre

The images of part two are probably the most memorable and dramatic. The picture of

has a macabre quality. Hamlet, too, talks of worms eating corpses, but here the image is sexualised and thus, becomes part of the speaker's arguement: it is pointless to preserve her viginity from him, as it will be violated after death by worms. (For a later poem which likewise sexualises worms, see Blake's O rose thou art sick.)

• Tweet