"Now, therefore, while thy youthful hue sits on thy skin like morning dew" (33-34)
The tone in this line is very conditional, much like the first stanza, but while the first stanza is slower and calmer, this line, which is the beginning of the third stanza, is much more urgent and demanding because of the word "now". In this line, the narrator is essentially saying that he will only love the mistress when she is young, which suggests that the narrator's love is not very deep.
Not technically the conditional tense, which is "would have"
ReplyDeleteAlthough Sara makes a very good point, I have to disagree with her on her interpretation with the third stanza beginning with "now" meaning that he will only love her when she is young. Rather, I believe the writer is trying to point out that the "now" means in the present. Marvell is trying to illustrate how the couple can make most of their time "now" on this earth and enjoy every moment together to the fullest extent. In conclusion, I believe the narrator is solely trying to show how strong his love is for his "mistress" and how deep it is.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sara that the word "now" sets the tone of this stanza as demanding but I respectfully disagree with her and agree with Anurag when he says that "now" doesn't mean that the narrator's love is not very deep.
ReplyDeleteAnother good exchange of ideas.
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