The lovers, as ‘amorous birds,’ will ‘prey’ on time, feeding on all it has to offer before they die and it’s too late. “like amorous birds of prey”– Another unusual metaphor characteristic of metaphysical poetry. “let us sport us”- The speaker asks that his mistress makes love with him before this inevitable impending death which he has described. Earlier, the speaker says that his lust will turn to ashes upon his death. “And while thy willing soul transpires/ At every pore with instant fires”– ‘Instant fires’ are a metaphor for lust. Here, youth takes the form of dew, which turns to dust upon the mistress’ death (“And your quaint honour turned to dust”)

“Now therefore, while the youthful hue/ Sits on thy skin like morning dew”- Another metaphor. “But none, I think, do there embrace”– When we are dead and in the ground, it will be too late to be together physically. The metaphor is that the worms will literally eat away at her virginity if she takes it with her to the grave. “Then worms shall try/That long-preserved virginity,/And your quaint honour turn to dust”– Your purity and abstinence will have been wasted. “Nor, in thy marble vault shall sound/ My echoing song ”– When you are dead and in the morgue, you’ll no longer hear my poems Here, Marvell poses love as a plant to be tended to in order to maintain its survival. “My vegetable love should grow”- Metaphysical poets are known for their extensive use of metaphor, usually comparing two things in an unusual or unexpected way. Now, he voices his concern that they do not have “world enough, and time.” This is where the speaker first alludes to Death, the inevitable destination of “deserts of vast eternity.” Before this point, Marvell’s speaker has described an infinite life of luxury and adoration. “….Time’s winged chariot hurrying near”- This is where the poem takes a turn. “For lady, you deserve this state/Nor would I love at lower rate”- He goes on to say that she is worthy of all of this praise, and would labor just as thoroughly over his love for her.

and the last age should show your heart.”- He devotes attention in the form of time to each of the mistress’ body parts in recognition of her beauty “And you should, if you please, refuse/ Till the conversion of the Jews”- In response to the shift to Christianity after the resurrection of Christ “I would/ Love you ten years before the flood”- The speaker refers to the flood in the famous biblical story Noah’s Ark. Marvell spent a lot of time there in his childhood. “Humber”- An estuary of the east coast of Northern England. “the Indian Ganges”– Trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh– a faraway, mysterious, foreign place.

Love lust and confusion wiki