Question

Is the sentence, "The grave's a fine and private place…" from Andrew Marvell's “To His Coy Mistress,” an example of overstatement?

Answer 1

No, that is really an understatement.

Explanation:

An "overstatement" is an exaggeration, or stating something too strongly. With the grave being the penultimate example of privacy and being cut-off from life itself, the phrase "a fine and private place" is really treating it more lightly - something of a 'coy' statement itself, relative to the subject of the poem.

The word "fine" is also softening the image - understatement - rather than reflecting either the harsh reality or making it more pronounced through an overstatement.