Spiritual Alchemy in Andrew Marvell’s Eyes and Tears

What is it about?

This article demonstrates that the imagery of stanza 6 in Andrew Marvell's "Eyes and Tears" echoes Robert Southwell's alchemical allegory in "St. Peter's Complaint," reworking the tradition of spiritual alchemy at a relatively late point in the poetry of tears tradition.

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Why is it important?

This note further demonstrates that "Eyes and Tears" is indeed a religious poem in close conversation with earlier instances of the poetry of tears tradition, including Robert Southwell and Richard Crashaw.