At the Reader's Discretion: Choice and Interdependence in Marvell's "Dialogue Between the Soul and the Body" Anonymous 12th Grade

In a he-said-she-said situation, it is likely that the truth falls somewhere in between the conflicting opinions. In Andrew Marvell’s metaphysical poem, “A Dialogue Between the Soul and the Body,” the Soul feels trapped inside the Body, and the Body feels consumed by the emotional pain of its soul. There is no denying that the Soul and the Body are in one huge toxic relationship; though they wish to free themselves from each other, they remain in their grouchy states. Marvell presents the reader with a question: are humans just bodies who are meant to live naturally without a soul to dictate it, or are they souls locked in the constraints of a body? Through elements of metaphysical poetry, Marvell provides strong arguments between the Soul and the Body, allowing the reader to decide what is right.

The first way Marvell tackles his question is through its structure. Each stanza of“A Dialogue Between the Soul and the Body” is separated by the alternating titles and speakers of the Soul and the Body. Through this dialectical argumentation, both speakers are juxtaposed through their accounts of their sufferings. The poem’s rhyming couplets allows these arguments to sound more composed and credible. However, these couplets also...