To My Inconstant Mistris

Thomas Carew's To My Inconstant Mistris

Thomas Carew’s To My Inconstant Mistris is a striking example of 17th-century lyric poetry, encapsulating the emotional turbulence of love, betrayal, and retribution. Written during the Caroline era—a period marked by political instability, artistic refinement, and the flourishing of metaphysical and Cavalier poetry—Carew’s work reflects the tensions between idealized love and the harsh realities of human infidelity. The poem is a masterful blend of personal lament and prophetic condemnation, employing vivid imagery, classical allusions, and a tightly controlled structure to convey the speaker’s wounded pride and moral superiority.

This analysis will explore the poem’s historical and literary context, its thematic preoccupations, and its emotional resonance. Carew’s work is deeply embedded in the Cavalier tradition, which prized wit, elegance, and emotional restraint, yet To My Inconstant Mistris also exhibits a rawness that transcends mere courtly artifice. By examining the poem’s language, structure, and philosophical underpinnings, we can appreciate how Carew transforms personal grievance into a universal meditation on love, justice, and poetic vengeance.

Historical and Literary Context

Thomas Carew (1595–1640) was a prominent figure among the Cavalier poets, a group that included Robert Herrick, Richard Lovelace, and Sir John Suckling. These poets were associated with the court of Charles I and were known for their polished, often amorous verse, which combined classical influences with a distinctly English sensibility. Unlike the Metaphysical poets—such as John Donne and George Herbert—who engaged in complex intellectual conceits, the Cavaliers favored clarity, emotional directness, and a hedonistic celebration of beauty and pleasure.

However, To My Inconstant Mistris deviates from the typical Cavalier celebration of love’s joys. Instead, it dwells on betrayal and the consequences of inconstancy, themes that resonate with the broader cultural anxieties of the 17th century. The Caroline period was one of growing skepticism toward absolute ideals, whether in politics, religion, or love. The poem’s condemnation of the mistress’s “false Apostasie” (a term laden with religious connotations) suggests a world where fidelity is not just a romantic virtue but a moral imperative.

Themes and Interpretation

1. Love as Retribution

The central theme of To My Inconstant Mistris is poetic justice—the idea that the speaker’s suffering will be avenged by the mistress’s future remorse. The poem operates on a conditional structure: when the mistress realizes the consequences of her actions, then she will experience the same pain she inflicted. This temporal framing gives the poem a prophetic tone, as though the speaker is both lamenting and foretelling destiny.

The opening lines—

When thou, poore excommunicate
From all the joyes of love, shalt see
The full reward, and glorious fate,
Which my strong faith shall purchase me

—establish a dichotomy between the speaker’s steadfastness and the mistress’s fickleness. The term “excommunicate” is particularly potent, evoking religious expulsion and suggesting that love, like faith, demands loyalty. The speaker’s “strong faith” will be rewarded, while the mistress’s betrayal will leave her isolated and cursed.

2. The Ideal vs. the Real

A recurring motif in Cavalier poetry is the tension between idealized love and its imperfect reality. Carew’s speaker contrasts his future happiness—symbolized by a “fayrer hand” and a “soul more pure”—with the mistress’s deceit. The replacement of the unfaithful lover with a superior one is a common trope in Renaissance poetry, echoing Ovid’s Amores and the Petrarchan tradition. However, Carew’s treatment is less about idealization than about moral judgment.

The lines—

And to my soul, a soul more pure
Than thine, shall by Loves hand be bound

—suggest a Platonic ideal of love, where true affection is not merely physical but spiritual. The mistress’s “false oathes” are thus not just a personal affront but a violation of a higher order.

3. Power Dynamics and Gender

The poem also engages with 17th-century gender dynamics, wherein female inconstancy was often portrayed as a moral failing. The speaker’s tone is both wounded and vindictive, positioning himself as the wronged party who will ultimately triumph. The mistress’s future suffering—

Then shalt thou weepe, entreat, complain
To Love, as I did once to thee

—mirrors the speaker’s past anguish, reinforcing a cyclical view of love as a force that metes out justice. This dynamic reflects the period’s patriarchal attitudes, where women’s fidelity was policed more harshly than men’s. Yet, the poem’s emotional core—its rawness and sense of betrayal—transcends historical context, making it relatable to any reader who has experienced unfaithfulness.

Literary Devices and Emotional Impact

1. Imagery and Symbolism

Carew employs religious and judicial imagery to heighten the poem’s moral stakes. Words like “excommunicate,” “Apostasie,” and “Damn’d” frame love as a sacred covenant, whose violation carries spiritual consequences. The mistress’s tears, described as “vain,” recall the biblical notion of weeping as a sign of repentance—except here, her remorse comes too late.

The contrast between the speaker’s future “glory” and the mistress’s damnation reinforces the poem’s moral dichotomy. The “equall glory crown’d” suggests a harmonious union in the afterlife, while the mistress remains exiled from love’s joys.

2. Tone and Structure

The poem’s tone shifts from cold condemnation to triumphant prophecy. The imperative—

Then curse thine owne inconstancy.

—is both a command and a curse, reinforcing the speaker’s authority. The regular rhythm and balanced phrasing lend the poem a controlled, almost legalistic quality, as though the speaker is delivering a verdict.

3. Emotional Resonance

Despite its formal elegance, the poem’s emotional power lies in its blend of vulnerability and vindictiveness. The speaker’s pain is palpable, yet his desire for retribution complicates any simple reading of him as a victim. This duality makes the poem psychologically rich—it is as much about wounded pride as lost love.

Comparative Readings

Carew’s poem can be usefully compared to other works of the period that explore betrayal and retribution. John Donne’s The Apparition similarly imagines a lover’s ghost returning to haunt an unfaithful mistress, while Shakespeare’s sonnets often grapple with the pain of inconstancy (e.g., Sonnet 129: Th’ expense of spirit in a waste of shame). However, Carew’s approach is less metaphysical than Donne’s and less introspective than Shakespeare’s—his focus is on justice rather than despair.

Conclusion

To My Inconstant Mistris is a finely crafted poem that transforms personal grievance into a universal meditation on love and justice. Carew’s use of religious imagery, prophetic tone, and controlled structure elevates the speaker’s lament into a timeless statement on fidelity and retribution. While rooted in the conventions of Cavalier poetry, the poem’s emotional intensity ensures its enduring appeal.

Ultimately, the poem’s power lies in its ability to articulate the pain of betrayal while asserting the moral high ground. It is both a curse and a consolation—a reminder that love, though fragile, demands integrity. In this sense, Carew’s work transcends its historical moment, speaking to anyone who has loved, lost, and sought vindication in the aftermath.