Exploration and Sensuality

Please excuse the late post as my google account has been shut down for the past 4 days. Last Friday when we covered Andrew Marvell's poem "To His Coy Mistress," I found it really interesting that exploration and sensuality went hand in hand. While the entire poem involves the act of man seducing woman, there are many instances where a reference to English exploration is mentioned. In lines 4-6, "To walk, and pass our long love's day. Thou by the Indian Ganges' side, Shouldst rubies find," Marvell mentions the English exploration of India, referencing the English East India Company hold in India in the 17th century. I found that marvel uses this comment of exploration to also refer to the exotic, distant ends of the British Empire, therefore making exploration sensual. Also, the fact that this poem is considered one of the best known carpe diem poem of the 17th century, while remaining very sensual, alludes to the comparisons of exploration and sensuality. I find this similarity very interesting, that the far reaches of the empire were considered dangerous, sensual, and dream-like in 17th century England, not much different for US citizens and far off vacation spots like Hawaii or the Virgin Islands.