Presentation of the Soul in "A Dialogue, between the Resolved Soul and Created Pleasure" and "On a Drop of Dew" Anonymous 11th Grade

A number of Marvell’s poetry often centers around the soul and its qualities, notably in ‘A Dialogue, between the Resolved Soul and Created Pleasure’ and ‘On a Drop of Dew’. There is significant highlight of the soul’s spiritual and nature, along with its strong bond to religion and the heavens. ‘A Dialogue, between the Resolved Soul and Created Pleasure’ focuses on the soul’s resolution and devotion to divine salvation despite distractions of earthly pleasures. On the other hand, ‘On a Drop of Dew’ focuses on the human soul’s purity and desire to return to the heavens as it is trapped by the material earth and human body. The two poems’ image of the soul as a perfect and pure being devoted to the heavens is strongly portrayed and emphasized on throughout, along with the opposing entrapment of the material plane to further highlight the soul’s purity. The contrast of resolution and purity of the soul against the temptations are central themes of Marvell’s poetry.

In a ‘A Dialogue, between the Resolved Soul and Created Pleasure’, the human soul is presented as the noble hero as the main focus of the poem, that deflects pleasure’s attempt at temptation in favor of its pursuit of its devotion to the heavens. There is a battle...