Andrew Marvell

Eyes and Tears

How wisely Nature did decree,
With the same Eyes to weep and see!
That, having view'd the object vain,
They might be ready to complain.
II.
And, since the Self-deluding Sight,

Optical geometry

Marvell is using surveying terminology—'false Angle' and 'hight' (height). Eyes measure perspective wrong; tears fall straight down like plumb lines, giving true vertical measurement.

In a false Angle takes each hight;
These Tears which better measure all,
Like wat'ry Lines and Plummets fall.
III.
Two Tears, which Sorrow long did weigh
Within the Scales of either Eye,
And then paid out in equal Poise,

Accounting metaphor

'Poise' means balance or weight. Tears are literally weighed in the scales of each eye, then 'paid out' as the exact price of joy—a precise commercial transaction.

Are the true price of all my Joyes.
IV.
What in the World most fair appears,
Yea even Laughter, turns to Tears:
And all the Jewels which we prize,

Pendant earrings

'Pendants' are hanging earrings. Tears hanging from eyes look like jewels melting into liquid ornaments—vanity literally dissolving.

Melt in these Pendants of the Eyes.
V.
I have through every Garden been,
Amongst the Red, the White, the Green;
And yet, from all the flow'rs I saw,
No Hony, but these Tears could draw.
VI.
So the all-seeing Sun each day
Distills the World with Chymick Ray;

Alchemical distillation

'Chymick Ray' = alchemical ray. The sun distills the world like an alchemist, but the only essence extracted is water (rain), which falls back in pity.

But finds the Essence only Showers,
Which straight in pity back he powers.
VII.
Yet happy they whom Grief doth bless,
That weep the more, and see the less:
And, to preserve their Sight more true,
Bath still their Eyes in their own Dew.
VIII.

Mary Magdalene

Gospel story: the repentant prostitute washed Christ's feet with her tears. 'Captivating Eyes' = eyes that once seduced men, now dissolved into tears that chain Christ.

* So Magdalen, in Tears more wise
Dissolv'd those captivating Eyes,
Whose liquid Chaines could flowing meet
To fetter her Redeemers feet.
IX.
Not full sailes hasting loaden home,
Nor the chast Ladies pregnant Womb,
Nor Cynthia Teeming show's so fair,

Cynthia = moon

Cynthia is Diana, goddess of the moon. 'Teeming' means full/swelling. Even the full moon isn't as beautiful as eyes swollen with crying.

As two Eyes swoln with weeping are.
X.
The sparkling Glance that shoots Desire,
Drench'd in these Waves, does lose it fire.

Jupiter's lightning

'Thund'rer' = Jupiter/Zeus. Even divine anger is quenched by tears—lightning hisses when tears extinguish it like water on hot metal.

Yea oft the Thund'rer pitty takes
And here the hissing Lightning slakes.
XI.
The Incense was to Heaven dear,

Biblical incense

Temple incense rose to heaven. Marvell claims God valued it not as perfume but as a tear—smoke was just visible weeping.

Not as a Perfume, but a Tear.
And Stars shew lovely in the Night,
But as they seem the Tears of Light.
XII.
Ope then mine Eyes your double Sluice,
And practise so your noblest Use.
For others too can see, or sleep;

Human uniqueness

Animals can see and sleep, but only humans weep. Tears are what make eyes achieve their 'noblest Use'—their highest purpose.

But only humane Eyes can weep.
XIII.
Now like two Clouds dissolving, drop,
And at each Tear in distance stop:
Now like two Fountains trickle down:
Now like two sloods o'return and drown.

Floods

'Sloods' = sluices or floods. The poem escalates: clouds, fountains, then overwhelming floods. Each tear should pause ('stop') before the next.

XIIII.
Thus let your Streams o'reflow your Springs,
Till Eyes and Tears be the same things:
And each the other's difference bears;

Final paradox

Eyes and tears become interchangeable—eyes that weep, tears that see. Each contains the other's function in a metaphysical reversal.

These weeping Eyes, those seeing Tears.
————
* Magdala, lascivos sic quum dimisit Amantes,
Fervidaque in castas lumina solvit aquas;
Hæsit in irriguo lachrymarum compede Christus,
Et tenuit sacros uda Catena pedes.
How wisely Nature did decree,
With the same Eyes to weep and see!
That, having view'd the object vain,
They might be ready to complain.
And, since the Self-deluding Sight,
In a false Angle takes each hight;

Optical geometry

Marvell is using surveying terminology—'false Angle' and 'hight' (height). Eyes measure perspective wrong; tears fall straight down like plumb lines, giving true vertical measurement.

These Tears which better measure all,
Like wat'ry Lines and Plummets fall.
Two Tears, which Sorrow long did weigh
Within the Scales of either Eye,

Accounting metaphor

'Poise' means balance or weight. Tears are literally weighed in the scales of each eye, then 'paid out' as the exact price of joy—a precise commercial transaction.

And then paid out in equal Poise,
Are the true price of all my Joyes.
What in the World most fair appears,
Yea even Laughter, turns to Tears:
And all the Jewels which we prize,
Melt in these Pendants of the Eyes.

Pendant earrings

'Pendants' are hanging earrings. Tears hanging from eyes look like jewels melting into liquid ornaments—vanity literally dissolving.

I have through every Garden been,
Amongst the Red, the White, the Green;
And yet, from all the flow'rs I saw,
No Hony, but these Tears could draw.
So the all-seeing Sun each day

Alchemical distillation

'Chymick Ray' = alchemical ray. The sun distills the world like an alchemist, but the only essence extracted is water (rain), which falls back in pity.

Distills the World with Chymick Ray;
But finds the Essence only Showers,
Which straight in pity back he powers.
Yet happy they whom Grief doth bless,
That weep the more, and see the less:
And, to preserve their Sight more true,
Bath still their Eyes in their own Dew.
* So Magdalen, in Tears more wise

Mary Magdalene

Gospel story: the repentant prostitute washed Christ's feet with her tears. 'Captivating Eyes' = eyes that once seduced men, now dissolved into tears that chain Christ.

Dissolv'd those captivating Eyes,
Whose liquid Chaines could flowing meet
To fetter her Redeemers feet.
Not full sailes hasting loaden home,
Nor the chast Ladies pregnant Womb,

Cynthia = moon

Cynthia is Diana, goddess of the moon. 'Teeming' means full/swelling. Even the full moon isn't as beautiful as eyes swollen with crying.

Nor Cynthia Teeming show's so fair,
As two Eyes swoln with weeping are.
The sparkling Glance that shoots Desire,
Drench'd in these Waves, does lose it fire.
Yea oft the Thund'rer pitty takes

Jupiter's lightning

'Thund'rer' = Jupiter/Zeus. Even divine anger is quenched by tears—lightning hisses when tears extinguish it like water on hot metal.

And here the hissing Lightning slakes.

Biblical incense

Temple incense rose to heaven. Marvell claims God valued it not as perfume but as a tear—smoke was just visible weeping.

The Incense was to Heaven dear,
Not as a Perfume, but a Tear.
And Stars shew lovely in the Night,
But as they seem the Tears of Light.
Ope then mine Eyes your double Sluice,
And practise so your noblest Use.
For others too can see, or sleep;
But only humane Eyes can weep.

Human uniqueness

Animals can see and sleep, but only humans weep. Tears are what make eyes achieve their 'noblest Use'—their highest purpose.

Now like two Clouds dissolving, drop,
And at each Tear in distance stop:
Now like two Fountains trickle down:

Floods

'Sloods' = sluices or floods. The poem escalates: clouds, fountains, then overwhelming floods. Each tear should pause ('stop') before the next.

Now like two sloods o'return and drown.
Thus let your Streams o'reflow your Springs,
Till Eyes and Tears be the same things:
And each the other's difference bears;
These weeping Eyes, those seeing Tears.

Final paradox

Eyes and tears become interchangeable—eyes that weep, tears that see. Each contains the other's function in a metaphysical reversal.

————
* Magdala, lascivos sic quum dimisit Amantes,
Fervidaque in castas lumina solvit aquas;
Hæsit in irriguo lachrymarum compede Christus,
Et tenuit sacros uda Catena pedes.
Source Wikipedia Poetry Foundation

Reading Notes

Marvell's Metaphysical Engineering

Marvell was trained in mathematics and surveying shows up in his poetry. This poem treats tears as precision instruments. In stanza II, he uses technical language: eyes measure 'each hight' at a 'false Angle' because perspective distorts, but tears fall 'Like wat'ry Lines and Plummets'—perfectly vertical like a surveyor's plumb line. Weeping corrects visual error.

The poem stacks metaphor systems on top of each other with metaphysical density. Tears are: surveying tools (stanza II), coins weighed and paid (stanza III), melting jewels (stanza IV), honey extracted from flowers (stanza V), alchemical essence (stanza VI), chains (stanza VIII), and finally sluices/floods (stanzas XII-XIV). Each metaphor does technical work—it's not decoration. The alchemy metaphor, for instance, claims the sun distills the entire world and finds only water worth keeping.

CONTEXT The Latin epigraph at the end is Marvell's own composition, translating stanza VIII back into Latin. This was a common Renaissance flex—write English, then show you could have written it in Latin. It confirms the Magdalene reference and emphasizes 'uda Catena' (wet chain), the central paradox of liquid restraints.

The poem argues that tears see more truly than eyes. This is metaphysical wit with theological backing: spiritual sight requires weeping over worldly vanity. Stanza VII claims those who 'weep the more, and see the less' are happier—crying blinds you to false appearances while revealing truth. It's Marvell's version of 'blessed are those who mourn.'

The Magdalene Turn

Stanza VIII is the theological center. Mary Magdalene 'Dissolv'd those captivating Eyes'—the eyes that seduced men literally dissolve into tears. But these tears form 'liquid Chaines' that 'fetter her Redeemers feet.' This is paradox as theology: chains made of water, a prostitute binding Christ, restraints that express devotion.

The word 'captivating' does double duty: Magdalene's eyes once captured men (seduction), but now her tears capture Christ (devotion). The same organ, repurposed. This connects to stanza I's claim that Nature wisely made eyes both see and weep—the same equipment serves vanity and repentance.

Marvell escalates through stanza IX with a shocking comparison: swollen crying eyes are more beautiful than 'full sailes hasting loaden home' (successful merchant ships), 'the chast Ladies pregnant Womb' (virtuous motherhood), or 'Cynthia Teeming' (the full moon). He's claiming weeping eyes surpass every Renaissance image of fullness and fertility. This is provocative—pregnancy and profit lose to grief.

The final stanzas (XII-XIV) are a prayer to his own eyes: 'Ope then mine Eyes your double Sluice.' He wants to weep so much that eyes and tears become indistinguishable, 'each the other's difference bears.' The poem ends with chiasmus: 'These weeping Eyes, those seeing Tears'—a grammatical mirror that enacts the fusion it describes. Marvell wants to cry until the boundary between organ and fluid collapses entirely.