Marvell's View Of Nature Displayed In The Garden

Andrew Marvell, a British poet in the seventeenth century, inherits romanticism tradition from the Elizabeth time and has opened the rational classicism of the 18th century. His works stride across the two poetry categories, marking the transition from the late renaissance to classicism. Among the numerous poems of Andrew Marvell, the best-known and most profound one should be the lyrical poem: The Garden, which belongs to the pastoral tradition.In The Garden, there is one person, perhaps it's the poet himself, tired of the social life, meditating the problem about life and nature. With the ups and downs of his train of thought, he displays his view of point to the personified nature. The ideal life is in the nature: fresh, green, energetic, quiet and permanent. Not only the poet's ideal world but also a deep religious theme has been displayed through his description of the natural beauty. In the garden, Marvell is attempting to find the balance between the conceptual and the visual, between the dialectical and the descriptive, which is characteristic of Marvell.Marvell is attempting to find what world is the ideal world, what life is the ideal life for the human being. The poet describes a garden-state for the readers, which is inspired by the active garden through contemplation. This state was full of innocence and quietness, just like the Eden before Eve was created. Based on the analysis of the three types of contrast and reconciliation in Marvell's The Garden in terms of contemplative garden and active garden,solitude and society,beauty of gardens and beauty of women, this thesis attempts to find out a way to the garden-state. The discussion aims to the better understanding of the close relationship between life and nature and explores Marvell's view of nature displayed in The Garden.This thesis is divided into three chapters, followed by a conclusion.Chapter One explores the superiority of the contemplative garden over the active garden, the first part describing the active garden which can bring the sensual pleasure to the people, and the second part displaying the contemplative garden which can bring delight of soul to the people. The author makes a conclusion about the difference of the two gardens. The contemplative garden is superior to the active garden. Then Marvell's view of nature bears close relationship to the contemplative garden.Chapter Two traces the Superiority of Solitude over Society. With the describing of the two different life styles: life of solitude—a state of innocence and social life—a reflected reality, the author concludes that according to Marvell, the innocent life is superior to the social life and it is evident that Marvell's ideal life is related to the innocence. And Marvell associates this solitude with the life in the Golden Age, and social life, the following ages.Chapter Three examines the superiority of the beauty of gardens over the beauty of women. The female beauty, with red and white as its symbol has still a step toward eternity and only the beauty of gardens can bring the permanent beauty. Having borrowed some stories from Ovid's Metamorphoses, Marvell convinces the readers his viewpoint. Marvell's view of nature is integrated here with eternity,which is also a part of his ideal life.