How imagery has been used by Andrew Marvell in his poem “The Definition of Love”?

Andrew Marvell is one of the most popular poets of the 17th century. He has been praised for his metaphysical poets. He joined with John Donne and George Herbert as a metaphysical poet. However, his writing style is different than other two poets of his time. Among his metaphysical poems, “The Definition of Love” is noteworthy.

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“The Definition of Love” is considered one of the best poems of Andrew Marvell. In this poem, you will find the influence of Platonic love where spirit, soul and mind get more importance then body. The poem shows the despair of love in geometric terms. It also depicts unrequited love, which cannot be requited during corporeal life. So it is clear that despair and impossibility is the main theme of this poem. It is a metaphysical poem but imagery plays a significant role, which can be seen in almost every stanza. It is important because it tells the separation of the beloved.

Before going to discuss about the use of imageries in this poem, you should know the definition of this literary term. Imagery refers to the use of metaphorical and visually descriptive language, which appeals to the senses of a reader by creating an image in their mind. Through imagery, an author represents an idea, object or an action.

In the third stanza, the poet has said that his love is heavenly. Then he goes on to say that how Fate becomes jealous when she sees two lovers overwhelmed in one another, and dissolves their relationship in a “tyrannic pow'r depose”. He goes on to explain the idealistic nature of love:

       “But Fate does iron wedges drive,

        And always crowds itself betwixt.”

It shows that Fate does not allow the union of two lovers and to prevent them from doing so, it will erect an “iron wedge” between them.

Here, the poet has given “Fate” a female personification. “Fate” has represented herself as very much alive, hostile, and a jealous lover. She is also presented as a tyrant with a “jealous eye” who has become a hinder for two perfect lovers from coming each other closer. It is because their union would mean the ruin of the power of Fate and depose her tyrannical power.

In the fifth stanza, you will also get a very good example of imagery. A series of extended images is used to show the tyrannical attitude of “Fate”. He said;

       “And therefore her decrees of steel

        Us as the distant poles have plac'd,

        (Though Love's whole World on us doth wheel)”

The speaker has said that Fate has given “decrees of steel” to place the two lovers as far away from each other as the North Pole and the South Pole are from each other and because of this, the lovers will be prohibited from making both physical and spiritual love.

It is also a best example of microcosmic image. It can also be referred as a geographical or cosmological image. You will also get a picturesque description of nature.

“Iron wedges” and “Decrees of Steel” carry symbolic meaning. These words are used to show the power of Fate over the hard, physical realities of the body.

Stanza six is also equally important for showing the use of imagery by Andrew Marvell. He said;

       “And, us to join, the world should all

        Be cramp'd into a planisphere.”

In this above mentioned quotation, the poet tried to think about the conditions in which he and his beloved might be physically united. The conditions include the heavens falling, an earthquake collapsing the earth or the entire planet being compressed into a flat plane. Each of these conditions is not possible.

The seventh number stanza is an important stanza where you will get geometrical image. It will show the contrast of the love of the speaker and his beloved with a more typical love. He said;

       “As lines, so loves oblique may well

        Themselves in every angle greet;

        But ours so truly parallel,

        Though infinite, can never meet.”

According to the speaker, he and his lady are like two parallel lines, which can never meet. It is interesting to see that their love is compared along with two parallel lines. It means that their love is perfect than others’ love, like a pair of oblique lines that will eventually interconnect.

The final stanza is very important because the speaker has given two definitions of love. The speaker has described love between him and his beloved as the “the conjunction of the mind” and the “opposition of the stars”. The speaker said;

       “Is the conjunction of the mind,

        And opposition of the stars.”

The two-part definition summarizes the divided nature of the speaker’s love that he feels for his beloved. If you look at the image of “conjunction” then you will find proximity and harmony in it while “opposition” gives an image of disharmony and distance. It implies the extent to which their love can never be completely in union.

There is no doubt that the second definition of speaker’s love indicates the power of Fate in the physical universe, which prevents the lovers from meeting on the plane of material embodiment. The second definition is all about metaphysical love.

Andrew Marvell has successfully used imagery in his poem “The Definition of Love”. The use of imagery has given the readers colorful description of an object. There we can find different types of images. Except it, we can also find the use of metaphysical conceit, wit, complexity and subtlety of thought etc. To conclude, it can be said that “The Definition of Love” is a metaphysical poetry with a lot of imageries.