If Marvell thought it was hard to get some time to yourself back in the 1650s, it's almost impossible to imagine what he would have to say if he were alive today, what with people tweeting 24-7 and eyes glued to their smart phones. Getting some time alone, though, is just as important now as it was then, although we're not saying you need to go to the extremes recommended in "The Garden." Isolation is of supreme value and importance in "The Garden," and the speaker doesn't care who he has to throw under the bus in order to get it. It's associated with escapism (the speaker is trying to blow off all of society), but also with futility—the speaker knows he can never truly have the solitude that he craves.
Questions About Isolation
- The speaker seems to be discounting the relationships people form with each other as "natural." Do you think this is fair? Why or why not?
- Do you agree or disagree with Marvell's statement that, "Two Paradises 'twere in one / to live in Paradise alone"? Why or why not?
- Does the speaker seem to accept the fact that he can never have the solitude that he craves? Why do you think so?
Chew on This
The speaker in "The Garden" is totally self-absorbed. He is way more concerned with himself than he is with nature. (His favorite flower? The narcissus.)
Give the guy a break. The speaker's desire to be alone in the garden is not anti-women, it is an expression of his desire to live in an environment where sexual temptation cannot lead him astray.