A Comparison of Persuasive Techniques in To His Coy Mistress and An

A Comparison of Persuasive Techniques in 'To His Coy Mistress' and 'An Answer To A Love Letter' 'To His Coy Mistress' is a poem written by Andrew Marvell (1621 - 1678). From the poem, it can be seen that he is trying to persuade his mistress to have sex with him. Although the male persona that reveals this story, the intent of Marvell was probably for humour and as entertainment for others. 'An Answer To A Love Letter' is another poem, written by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689 - 1762), but in contrast to Marvell's, it is used to reject an admirer's interest and could be seen as a reply. The poem describes how a female persona declines an admirer. While this story takes place, Montagu simultaneously rebukes men in general. This inclination may have been caused by her bad experiences in marriage. Both poems use persuasion, although for different purposes. Andrew Marvell was born at Winestead-in-Holderness, Yorkshire, on March 31, 1621. At 3 years old, he moved to Hull where his father, Reverend Andrew Marvell became a lecturer at Holy Trinity Church. Andrew Marvell was educated at Hull Grammar School and studied at Trinity College in Cambridge. Two poems that he had written, one in Greek and one in Latin, were printed in 1637. The next year he was accepted as a Scholar of Trinity College and took his B.A. degree. Within a few days, his mother had died and after his father died also within 2 years, he left Cambridge. It was in this period, after he started travelling in Europe, that he wrote 'To His Coy Mistress'. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was born in 1689, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Kingston. Her family were wealthy, but n... ...rue of Montagu's poem. In the same way, Montagu's logical argument is shown by the structure. Montagu has different sections in her poem and although she has not split it into stanzas, the divisions are quite obvious. The first section is about the admirer, how he has everything, is married and should not try to seduce her. She then scolds men in general in the next section, insulting men and showing her disgust. In her next section, she describes how she had been hurt before, how someone has already taken her heart and broken it. She tells how she feels men lie and deceive in the following section before ending with a section on the consequences. Although both do use logical argument, it is more evident in "To His Coy Mistress" as his is split into the different stanzas while "An Answer To A Love Letter" is not.