Carpe Diem Throughout Time

The term Carpe Diem which is a Latin translation for seize the day, was originally crowned by Roman poet Horace in Ode 11 from Book I of the Odes of Horace written in 23 BC. The original meaning behind the popular phrase was simple, to enjoy the present time and trust little in the future as it is not guaranteed. Since Horace, there have been countless people with their own adaptation of the phrase. Carpe Diem was most commonly wrote about by 17th century poets most famously, Robert Herrick’s “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” and Andrew Marvell in his poem “To His Coy Mistress”. Both poets spoke about the passing of time and illustrated the concept of carpe diem a little differently than the traditional narration in which Horace explained it. Although the poems are similar in the topic of the writings, the poets go about reaching the main point much differently. Herrick seems to be speaking to the younger readers as you can tell from the title he refers to the younger crowd as virgins. Herrick’s first line he states “Gather ye rose-buds while ye may,” to demonstrate time is quickly passing and to seize the moment while you have it. Almost every sentence Herrick uses is a metaphor and imagery to show the importance of enjoying your youth right now because once it’s gone you’ll never get it back. Marvell shares certain similarities with Herrick when he writes about his concept of the term but certainly delivers his message a different way. In Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress” he begins convincing his mistress to be with him because time (the future) is not promised. The speaker starts off explaining the love he felt for her and shows a slightly different concept of time than Herrick when he says “My vegetable love should grow Vaster than empires and more slow;” (Marvell 11-12) explaining how the love he shares for her grows slow and steady like a vegetable. At the end Marvell contradicts his celebration of slow passing time by explaining the need to act on all the desires he has now because as time passes and his mistress grows older then he will no longer see what he once saw in her. He says “Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near; And yonder all before us lie Deserts of vast eternity. Thy beauty shall no more be found” (Marvell 21-25). He refers to the winged chariot as death and how rapidly it’s approaching and ends the line by basically telling her when time goes on you’ll no longer be beautiful. Unlike Marvell speaking to one specific woman (his mistress), Herrick is really trying to reach out to all the youth out there warning them of wasting their time when he says “Then be not coy, but use your time, And while ye may, go marry; For having lost but once your prime, You may forever tarry” (Herrick 14-16). As we can see they both explain the concept of time relating to the term carpe diem but as I stated before everybody will have their own depiction of the term. Many different people form many different meanings and opinions of the term and its meaning; both positive and negative perceptions can be formed.

Let’s fast forward to take a look at some 19th century poets who wrote about the concept of Carpe Diem and take a look at their perspective on it. Langston Hughes wrote a short poem titled “Dreams” about the importance of not only having a dream but holding on to that dream by using metaphors, imagery and personification. Hughes begins by saying “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die life is but a broken-winged bird…” (Hughes 1-2) basically saying that if you don’t have a dream then what is it you’re truly living for? Like a bird with a broken-wing who can’t fly you can’t do what you’re set out to do and at that point, you’re useless. The difference between Hughes and Marvell and Herrick is Hughes seems to have a positive outlook on time and life in general unlike the poets I mentioned earlier because he really wants to reach out to anybody and tell them from his experience that having a dream and pursuing that dream is something that could benefit them. Having a goal, it’s something you strive for and are aware that it’s something you need to work towards achieving in the future. He understanding of “seizing the day” is to hold on to dreams and work hard every day to achieve it in the future as opposed to Marvell and Herrick where they have negative outlooks on time and the future encouraging us to live life for right now because the future isn’t promised. Let’s examine one more carpe diem poem written by Charles Baudelaire. Baudelaire delivers a powerful message in very few words in his poem "Be Drunk". His begins his poem with a blunt message "You have to always be drunk. That's all there is to it-it's the only way.” (Baudelaire 1) Initially you get this image of Carpe Diem -seizing the day and this metaphor gives you a recollection of Horace’s poem when he speaks about “straining your wines” (Horace, Odes, 1.11,11.6). When Baudelaire goes into more detail about "being drunk" the meaning takes a turn. We see that Baudelaire is using drunkenness as a metaphor to describe going all in and giving your all to anything you do and not letting anything control your life is one key points he is trying to explain. Like alcohol controls certain aspects of your life, causing forgetfulness, letting memories pass by us, etc. He goes into more detail in the second stanza by saying "But on what? Wine, poetry or virtue, as you wish. But be drunk” (Baudelaire 3). Baudelaire is really emphasizing the point of whatever you chose to "be drunk" on just give it your all. The way he describes time in his poem and describes it as if it was a horrible burden and continues to say it martyred us and breaks us; which is a similar negative outlook much like Horace, Herrick and Marvell share.