Summary

The speaker begins by imagining a counterfactual universe in which he and his mistress had "world enough and time" (1). In this world, where death was not inevitable, there would be no problems in her shyness. Instead, they could love each other from afar: her in India, and him in Europe. He would love her before Noah's flood, and she could wait until everyone is converted to Christianity. His love would grow like a vegetable does, slowly and healthfully. He could spend a hundred years or more praising each of her physical attributes. He admits that she deserves this kind of love.

However, the speaker points out, he can hear the chariot of time approaching behind them. Ahead is only empty halls of death. She, like all people, will be eaten by worms in death. Both his lust and her honor will be devoured. In...