“To The Virgins, To Make Much of Time” - Robert Herrick

What is the main theme of the poem?

"Carpe Diem"/ Seize the day and do what you want with your life.

What does the poem say to do with your small amount of time during your life?

Use it wisely and don't waste it.

What advice does the speaker give to young people in "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time"?

Get married while young

What jovial tone/quality does the poem take on?

It has a sing-song quality and has a rhythm, but still talks about some heavy stuff too.

What do roses represent in poetry?

Love.

What do rosebuds represent in this poem?

They are young flowers that haven't opened yet. They represent the youth that many people have, but can change quickly and easily, just as flowers can change from buds to flowers quickly and then after that the flowers can die.

What is the connection between the race in line 7 and the concept of the day/night cycle?

The beginning of the day is the race and the race ends when it turns to night.

What does the sun setting in line 8 represent?

Death/End of life.

What does it mean by "youth and blood" and that whole section?

Live your life and do everything you want while you are still young and seize the day. Don't waste time because you only have a little bit of time and you can't get any back.

What does it mean by "time being spent worse and worse" (line 11).

Your quality of life degrades as you get older so if you wait to do something with your life, you are only hurting yourself.

What do lines 13-16 (the last 4 lines of the poem) say?

Find love and do everything that you want while you are still in your prime and young.

What theme relating to nature is consistent in many poems?

The goodness of nature (especially the summer) going away.

What is the main message of "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time"?

Youth should be enjoyed while it lasts