Both of these poems seem to be discussing the fleeting nature of life. Marvell's poem definitely has the message of foregoing "quaint honor" and having sex while you're young. Macleish's poem seems to just convey the thoughts of a man laying "face downward in the sun", contemplating the turning of the Earth and how very small and fleeting he feels in comparison. I am not sure why the poem is titled "You, Andrew Marvell" because there is no overt reference to him that I noticed; although, it could just be that Macleish felt a connection to Marvell's stark awareness of death and wanted to include him in the title, but that's probably not reading enough into it.
From what I gathered through skimming Mark Strand's essay, Strand seemed to have deep respect for both the poets and the authors for expressing an emotion that is so common yet so often indescribable. Nothing he said really blew my mind though.
I definitely relate to these poems, and I think that their beauty lies in that fact that just about everybody can relate to these ideas to some degree. It is a pretty incredible fact that human beings are the only known creature to know that it is doomed to die, and this knowledge can have a major impact on a person's actions, goals, and emotions. Even though no amount of meditation or works of art or even scientific advancements will ultimately change this fate, the reality of death is an idea that continues to fascinate and shape us as a species.
But what does Strand say about the role of poetry?
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