"Coy Mistress" written by Annie Finch serves as a direct response to Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" which was composed almost two centuries later. It is easy to notice that the time this poem was written in an era more liberal compared to Marvell's piece. In the very first word "Sir", Finch directly addresses Marvell and clarifies that the 'Mistress' is not some bird of prey as Marvell asserted in his poem. She does not crudely seize the day by faltering into promiscuity. Similar to Marvell, Finch too personifies time by capitalizing it and addressing it as 'he'. However, in contrast to Marvell, Finch opines to adopt time as a friend. She says that time will improve and fine tune their youthful quality, say perhaps like a fine aged wine. She poses a question, a rhetorical question perhaps, stating that it is pertinent to understand and comprehend the nature of life before contemplating and expressing love. She says that lif...
Essays on Poems, Prose and Stories