The phrase originates in Horace’s Ode 1.11. Carpe diem expresses a philosophy that recognizes the brevity of life and therefore the need to live for and in the moment. The poem is in the genre of carpe diem, Latin for to seize the day.įirst published in 1648 in a volume of verse entitled Hesperides, it is perhaps one of the most famous poems to extol the notion of carpe diem. To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time is a poem written by Robert Herrick in the 17th century.
Wikipedia: To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time The opening stanza in one of his more famous poems, “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time”, is as follows: Robert Herrick (baptized 24 August 1591 – buried 15 October 1674) was a 17th century English poet. It encourages youth to enjoy life before it is too late compare “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may” from “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time”. “Collige, virgo, rosas” ("gather, girl, the roses") appears at the end of the poem “De rosis nascentibus” (also called Idyllium de rosis) attributed to Ausonius or Virgil. In Larry Wachtel’s interpretation, “gather those rosebuds” means to make profits while you can. “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may” is the first line of the 1648 poem “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time,” by Robert Herrick (1591-1674). ” Collige, virgo, rosas“ ("gather, girl, the roses") is from classical Latin. He signed off with his catchphrase, “gather those rosebuds.” To burn always with this hard, gem-like flame, to maintain this ecstasy, is success in life.Larry Wachtel (1930-2007) was the “Voice of Wall Street” on WINS news radio in New York City from 1972 to 2005. How may we see in them all that is to be seen in them by the finest senses? How shall we pass most swiftly from point to point, and be present always at the focus where the greatest number of vital forces unite in their purest energy? A counted number of pulses only is given to us of a variegated, dramatic life. “Not the fruit of experience, but experience itself, is the end. I can say it no better than Walter Pater in The Renaissance: Find something beautiful and hang on to it. Seize the day, lean into the turns, gather the rosebuds. Any motorcycle rider will tell you, you have to lean into the turn. Enjoy the present, for it is ever changing. Herrick’s poem is an ode to carpe diem and advises us to be mindful of the opportunities that each day provides. It is about their stage of life and how quickly we can slip into another stage and then another and another until we reach the end.
I believe that the poet’s use of the word virgins is not necessarily because of their sexual status, but because it is a word that evokes youth and inexperience. ‘Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May’, John William Waterhouse
Waterhouse painted a later work with an identical title. Soon after Persephone picks her flowers, she will be abducted by Hades and whisked away to the Underworld. Since Persephone, along with her mother the goddess Demeter, is associated with the passing seasons it seems fitting that Waterhouse should use her in reference to Herrick’s poem. Waterhouse by Peter Trippi, the author identifies the women in the painting as Persephone and her companions. For the title of his 1909 painting Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, John William Waterhouse used a line from the poem To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time by Robert Herrick (1597-1674) Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,