Andrew Marvell's Poem 'The Gallery'

Have you ever known or dated a person whom you saw as perfect and imperfect? An angel and a devil? Almost everyone has been in the same complicated relationship at some point in their lives. Poet Andrew Marvell describes this complex situation through the speaker in his poem “The Gallery” about the beloved Chlora. The complexity is communicated through the metaphor of the gallery itself which paints all the varied ways Chlora is interpreted. With the art varying in extremes the uncertain relationship is very apparent. The complexity of the relationship is also revealed through three other methods: imagery, detail, and the figurative language within the poem. Imagery is the first and most obvious way to break down and understand the relationship. …show more content…
One metaphor is the gallery itself, which is all the memories of the different sides of Chlora they have seen. Furthermore, an important allusion in the poem is “Like Venus in her pearly boat” (34). To compare one's other half to the roman goddess of love and beauty is a strong statement, and a sign of strong feelings. The allusion further strengthened when Chlora is compared to Aurora as well. Lastly, symbolism is a factor when stated “Art grown numerous a colony” (46). THe colony is the collection of memories as well as Chloras the speaker has in his mind. Based on these examples of figurative language it can be concluded that the relationship is a long and elaborate one. Through imagery, detail, and figurative language- primarily metaphors, the extremely intricate relationship between the speaker and Chlora in “The Gallery” is revealed. The poem itself is an ode to a bittersweet relationship with a both evil and angelic woman, whom he loves and fears. Through Andrew Marvell's words and carefully crafted detail we can learn that love is a complicated emotion. Which changes as much as the people in the relationship do, which can be as stark as night and