Marvell & Herrick's Use of Carpe Diem.

The first 200 words of this essay...

Lindsay Ryans

October 13, 2003

Dr. Richardson

English 1023H

Marvell & Herrick's Use of Carpe Diem

The powerful Latin phrase "Carpe Diem" is interpreted into English as "to seize the day." When I hear this phrase, especially in the context of literature, I imagine a narrative written in order to explain a theory or moral. "To seize the day" is a powerful expression that applies to us all in a certain aspect of life. Making the most out of life is a predominant goal to most of us. However, themes of "Carpe Diem" were especially predominant in 17th century poetry and therefore plunged into the lives and feelings of the everyday commoner. In a thorough analysis, one can clearly justify that the two poems, "To His Coy Mistress," by Andrew Marvell and "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time," by Robert Herrick are works from that period which deliver a clear theme of "Carpe Diem."

Time is a recurring theme in Marvell's poem from the very beginning, whether he is describing the vastness of his love or the urgency of the moment. The opening tone in the lines 1-21 is soothing