Love or Lust

Within the three pieces of writing by Zora Neale Hurston, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Andrew Marvell, the reader is confronted with three contrasting perspectives on love. Love is presented as an aspect of human life with many sides to it. It can be either an impulse of lust or an everlasting, overcoming strength. Although time doesn’t affect the depth of love, it absolutely affects the decision making that accompanies it.
In “The Gilded Six-Bits,” Zora Neale Hurston, love causes humans to make rash decisions based on the ones they love. The relationship between a man and woman, Joe and Missie May, is one overflowing with love for the other. The weakness of love, unfortunately, is shown in Missie May’s mistake of cheating on Joe. Although she loves her husband, her affection for money overtakes her. She becomes unfaithful to her betrothed simply for monetary gain: an action that later makes her feel like a prostitute. Conversely, the strength of love is proven in its everlasting quality. After some time and the persistence of both, their bond (in the form of a child) rejoins the couple. Although the fallibility of man pulled the two apart, it was, inevitably, their love that brought them back together.
Andrew Marvall in “To His Coy Mistress” addresses the more physical perspective of love. In reference to time, human life is limited in this world; eventually, everyone passes on. The speaker points out that in the time that one is allotted here, he should take full advantage. In terms of sex, the speaker tries to persuade a woman to give up her virginity and embrace life. He makes note of how he “always hear[s]/ Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near” (Marvell 22) and that once mortal life is gone “before us lie/ Deserts of vast eternity.” (Marvell 24). A constant pressure is put onto the mistress to give up her body for the sake of being mortal.
Edna St. Vincent Millay gives the reader of “I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed” the perspective of sex through a woman’s eyes. As opposed to the writings of the two former poems, the speaker’s perspective conveys a want. The speaker wants the physical attention and aspects of love. She has sex out of her lust and impulse instead of through clear thought. Millay portrays the woman’s want for the “body’s weight upon my breast” (Millay 5) but later counters her actions. She points out that she acted “To clarify the impulse” (Millay 7) because of the presence of her “staggering brain” (Millay 10). “I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed” makes a third argument to the aspect of love. Love isn’t required for physical want, and humans are free to make this choice.
Human love is a characteristic of life. It can take many forms and present itself to anyone. Within the three readings, “The Gilded Six-Bits,” “To His Coy Mistress,” and “I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed,” the writers all offer different views on the physical act of sex. Love can be overcome by financial gain through sex; yet, sex is an aspect that should be embraced in the short span of mortality. Through this though, a person has to find the line between love and lust because, while one is everlasting, the other is only temporary.