Marvell From an Alegorical Asp

A detailed Summary of Marvell From an Alegorical Asp

"The Picture of little T.C. in a Prospect of Flowers" depicts several seemingly unrelated events, which are drawn together by an underlying allegory. In the beginning of the poem T.C., a beautiful young woman, is found at the morning of her life in a bed of flowers. Next T.C. is described conquering men with her chaste charms. As the poem progresses, Marvell brings himself in to the poem and hints towards its allegory: "let me in time compound...where I may see thy glories". While the forth stanza deals with the reinstallation of paradise to the present world. The poem concludes by warning about the right and wrong uses of nature. In all, the poem suggests an allegory of biblical proportions, where T.C. may be compared to Adam, having authority over the world and meditating over its significance.

Throughout the poem the reader is reminded of God's promise to man, which is revealed in biblical prophecy. The first stanza presents T.C. lying in the grass naming flowers, "engaged in a simple meditation of God's creation" (King 102). Her simplicity recalls Adam before the creation of Eve and the fall (King 105). The assumption of Marvell's allegory of the story of Adam and Eve is made apparent by Marvell's obvious word select

Just as Adam disrupted the harmony of the world, "so is each person responsible in setting things right by the course of his life" (King 106). The forth stanza deals with T.C. correcting the fall of man in the form of nature. T.C., in reforming "the errours of the spring", gives the flowers qualities, which they lack since the fall (King 106). In the poem, the rose stands for worldliness as opposed to the disarmed rose, which stands for paradise. The disarming of the rose would be to restore it to its "parasidial" state (King 107). The reformation is marked by the current state of the flowers as compared to the virtuous state of the flowers during the days of paradise. T.C. is asked to disarm the roses of the thorns, symbolizing the proposed mission of all men, to try to restore peace during their lives. In the fifth stanza "the imagery once again reminds us of mankind's dominion over the creatures" (King 107). The reader notices a sharp contrast between the carpe diem message given in "To his coy Mistress", a poem written by Marvell, and the passive connotation noticed in the fifth stanza of the "The picture of little T.C." ( ). Whereas carpe diem says, "seize the day because time is passing", T.C. is told not to anticipate pleasures ("Buds"), but let them ripen in the fullness of time (King 108).

In the title Marvell uses prospect to inform the reader that the poem will look forward in time. The poem progresses through T.C's life as she matures and sets examples

Some common words found in the essay are:
Satan King, Prospect Flowers, Marvell TC, Pleasure' King, Christ TC, Adam Eve, God TC, Testament Colie, TC Christ-like, little tc, , picture little tc, picture little, king 106, poem progresses, glories shade, stanza deals, king 102, fall king, fifth stanza, king 105, forth stanza deals,

Approximate Word count = 1009
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English