The Value of War

One of the central questions this poem asks us is whether war or peace is better for a society. The poem is, at least nominally, written in praise of a war. That is, it is written in praise of Oliver Cromwell’s war in Ireland. The poem’s relationship with that particular conflict aside, it also calls into question the value of war in totality.

The poem begins with the image of a “forward youth” leaving his home and studies behind to don his armor and set off for war (1). The identity of the youth is not specified — Cromwell, at fifty, was hardly a “youth” when he went to Ireland. It is more likely that this figure is an anonymous young man, depicted as a valiant soldier in the English cause.

Marvell also uses many images of power to depict the nature of...