'The Garden' and Marvell's Literal Figures

This article considers various ways in which Marvell's literalism operates in pastoral verse, in particular relation to 'The Garden'. Focusing on the role of the poet as a reader of nature, the author discusses Marvell's engagement with traditions surrounding the 'book of nature', and the complications of the notion of its legibility. The poetry can be understood as a critical re-reading of several allegorical traditions, ultimately casting doubt on the conventional use of nature for spiritual allegory.