Poem Analysis 4: To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time

To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time

BY ROBERT HERRICK

Gather ye rose-buds 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.

That age is best which is the first,

   When youth and blood are warmer;

But being spent, the worse, and worst

   Times still succeed the former.

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.

 This is one of my favorite poems so far because I actually was able to understand the first time I read it. Since the structure of the poem contains a ABAB type rhyming, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The first stanza is referring to the virgins, stating that they shall find "rose-buds" while time is still available at their hands. In my opinion, rose-buds most likely represents a good life, with happiness and full of love. The description of the smiling flower is sort of like personification since flowers literally cannot smile. I really enjoy when authors include imagery and great use of description in their poems and stories because it allows me to get a sense of the story as a whole. There really isn't a huge shift in this poem, as the speaker stays consistent with his/her idea of living life to the fullest.

The speakers also uses nature throughout the poem. In the first stanza, he/she focuses on flowers. In the second stanza, he/she brings up an idea of the sun which gives us readers a sense of setting and time. In the third stanza, the speaker than ties together nature and youth in which youth is the best time period to live in because you still have a long way to go to do things, like to gather rose-buds. The references of nature dying reflects the theme of a time of fulfilling happiness. Even though everything around us is dying, the youth must live every moment the best they possibly can.