To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time. Analysis and review outline Jeremy Lim

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1 To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time Analysis and review outline Jeremy Lim To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time, by Robert Herrick Content: This poem is essentially a message directed to young, virgin women, urging them to marry. Robert Herrick uses several nature-oriented metaphors and symbols to impress upon the audience the message that it is better to get married young. It is a Carpe Diem poem(seize the day!) Stanza 1: he(author) uses the gathering of rosebuds symbolically. Stanza 2: he uses the setting of the sun as metaphor for time passing. Stanza 3: he says that being young is a better time than being old. Stanza 4: he tells the virgins not to be coy and to go out and marry now, or else they might wait forever. Line-by-Line Analysis: Gather ye rosebuds, while ye may, Old time is still a-flying: And this same flower that smiles today Tomorrow will be dying. The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, The higher he's a getting, The sooner will his race be run, And nearer he's to setting. The age is best which is the first, When youth and blood are warmer; Translates to: gather your rosebuds while you can. It is a symbol: take advantage of the opportunity to gather rosebuds.(while ye may) It is saying that time is passing, it is a continuation of the symbol from the previous line: take advantage of the opportunity, because time is running out! Personification: the flower smiling is the same as the flower just blooming. It is a symbol in conjunction with the previous line. The idea that a flower can, and will soon die in order to reinforce the poem's message.(carpe Diem) A metaphor: comparing the sun to a lamp. It's the start of a complete thought, as the sun gets higher the sooner its path(race) through the sky will be finished the sooner it will set. It is more symbolism indicating that time is passing/running out! Translation: the best age is youth: being young Reinforcement: early in life, people are young and more vibrant(warmer) Think: Young =

2 But being spent, the worse, and worst Times still succeed the former. The be not coy, but user our time, And, while ye may, go marry: For having lost but once your prime You may forever tarry. warm, Old = cold(more like a corpse) After youth, it simply gets worse(at middle age) Continuation of last line: it gets worse even after middle age, old/very old is worse! Carpe diem again, last stanza is a warning of time: life gets worse as you age, so don't wait/waste opportunity! Def. Of coy: shy and hesitant. Herrick comes out and says it: Don't be shy and waste time! In specific, Herrick wants young women to marry whilst young, which is the very specific message of the poem. Start of a complete thought: Once you have past your youth(prime) and become old you will lose your chance and never marry, tarry = wait.(forever tarry = wait forever) Herrick is saying that once they have lost their youth and beauty they may not get married, on account of their age. Literary Devices: Example(s): Device: Explanation: Gather ye rosebuds, while ye may,/ Old time is still a-flying Symbolism The act of gathering rosebuds is used as a symbol of taking advantage of opportunities. The idea is to take advantage of opportunities now, because time is running out. Reinforces the poems general Carpe Diem message(seize the moment!) time is still a-flying Metaphor(1) Time can't literally fly, comparison to something that can fly. Common metaphor.(cummings 1) And this same flower that smiles today And this same flower that smiles today/tomorrow will be dying Personification The flower smiling means the flower is simply blooming Symbolism(2) A flower that is blooming won't necessarily be dying the next day! It just symbolizes that time is passing, and it isn't a good thing(the flower is dying!) Reinforces Carpe Diem: consequences for wasting time! may//today, flying//dying Rhyme Shows some structure in the poem.

3 sun//run, getting//setting first//worst, warmer//former time//prime, marry//tarry (also adds a nice sound) Notice for all stanzas there is an ABAB rhyme scheme! The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun Metaphor(2) Compares the sun to a glorious lamp, both the sun and a lamp create light. The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun/the higher he's a-getting/the sooner will his race be run,/and nearer he's to setting. still a-flying:, he's a-getting, Symbolism(3) Parallel Structure Similar to Symbolism #2: time is passing and the sun is setting! Time in which there is daylight is running out! Reinforces Carpe Diem: consequences for wasting time!(shmoop Editorial Team) Used to emphasize those specific lines. When youth and blood are warmer; Metaphor(3) Young people don't inherently have warmer blood than older people, and youth (the noun) can't be warmer. It is comparing youth to being warm and it is assumed that therefore old age is being compared to being cold. Reinforces the message: it is better to get married whilst young!(warm rather than cold)(shmoop Editorial Team) Gather ye rosebuds, The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun Gather ye rosebuds, while ye may,/old time is still a-flying Imagery Allusion Herrick uses references to beautiful aspects of the natural world, to create a positive atmosphere rather than dreary one. The Latin poet Ausonius wrote a similar line(a translation): Maidens, gather roses, while blooms are fresh and youth is fresh, and be mindful that your life-time hastes away. (Shmoop Editorial Team) The Tone of the Poem: A word to describe the poem is encouraging. While Herrick is reinforcing his message with serious and sad ideas of flowers dying, suns setting, and people becoming old and cold, his imagery is of beautiful things. For example, the poem mentions rosebuds, the sun as a glorious lamp. It is supposed to have an important theme, but it isn't supposed to make the reader necessarily dreary.

4 The Theme(s): The major, general theme is the idea of Carpe diem: Seize the Day! Take advantage of opportunities now rather than later. This is exemplified by the symbolism showing the consequences of waiting(for example, Symbolism #3). This theme, however is derived from Herrick's very specific theme: the marriage of young women. He want young women to marry while they are still young, before they get old! The general theme still carries weight today, but Herrick's specific theme may not be so popular!

5 Works Cited: Cummings, Michael. To the Virgins (Gather Ye Rosebuds): a Study Guide cummingsstudyguides.net Michael J. Cummings Web. 10 Dec "Introduction." Poetry for Students. Vol. 13. Gale Cengage,. enotes.com. 10 Dec, < Shmoop Editorial Team. "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time (Gather ye rosebuds)" Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov Web. 10 Dec