To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time

E593518

"To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" is a 17th-century lyric poem best known for its carpe diem theme urging readers to seize the day and make the most of youth before it fades.

Try in SPARQL Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" 1

Statements (43)

Predicate Object
instanceOf carpe diem poem
lyric poem
addressedAs virgins
addressedTo young women
alternateTitle Gather ye Rosebuds while ye may
author Robert Herrick NERFINISHED
authorNationality English
centralMessage seize opportunities in youth before they fade
countryOfOrigin England
culturalStatus canonical English poem
encourages early marriage
firstLine Gather ye rosebuds while ye may
focusesOn youthful opportunity
form lyric
frequentlyAnthologized true
genre poetry
hasFamousLine Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying
hasStanzaStructure quatrains
includedIn Hesperides NERFINISHED
influencedBy classical carpe diem tradition
language English
literaryCategory English Renaissance poetry
literaryDevice metaphor of rosebuds for youth
personification of time
literaryMovement Cavalier poetry NERFINISHED
literaryPeriod 17th century
meter iambic tetrameter
publicationYear 1648
rhymeScheme ABAB
setting generalized, non-specific time and place
stanzaCount 4
studiedIn English literature courses
subjectMatter fleeting nature of beauty and youth
theme carpe diem
marriage and courtship
mortality
passage of time
transience of youth
tone didactic
urgent
usesSymbol flowers as symbol of transient beauty
sun as symbol of life’s course
warnsAbout inevitability of aging

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May inspiredBy To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
this entity surface form: poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time"
Robert Herrick wrotePoem To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time