PoetryThe idea of Carpe Diem originates from a poem called "Ode" by Horace. In the poem, the author is attempting to convince his lover not to worry about what the future holds for him because time may be very hard to find. He continues to explain that it's a waste of time to talk about when or where they might die, instead, they should enjoy the day drinking wine. “Be wise, filter your wines, and because of short life, cut off long-term hopes” (“Translation: Odes”). The author's view on the purpose of life is made clear in his works and his positive outlook. Throughout Horace's writings, he argues that there are no promises that anything will happen and that each day should be enjoyed as if it were the last, "Far better is whatever will last, whether Jupiter has assigned more winters or the last ,” (“Translation: Odes”). Horace grasps the idea of “seizing the day” and enjoys worrying “as little as possible” about the future. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Andrew Marvell, author of “To His Coy Mistress,” had a slightly skewed opinion of the phrase “seize the day” compared to Horace. By reading this poem, Marvell is trying to persuade a woman to "seize the day" by having sex with him. Start by complimenting her good looks. He says: “If only we had enough world and time. This shyness, madam, would not be a crime." The author explains to his lover that if he had more time, he would have the opportunity to devote himself to her. He continues to argue that they need to act soon, because they won't be young and beautiful forever. After the first set of lines of Marvell's poem, he claims his affection for her and says, "My vegetable love should grow wider than empires and more slowly." When the tone of the poem is changed, the author says that he will see his lover die a virgin: "That long-preserved virginity and your characteristic honor turn to dust." Within the poem's final group of lines, Marvell concludes his argument with the humorous comment: "The grave is a beautiful and private place, but none, I think, embraces you." In an almost dark, but at the same time funny way, the author is trying to convince this woman that they will not live forever and that they should "seize the day" and act on their (her) sexual desires. John Donne wrote a poem similar to Andrew Marvell's work titled "The Flea", in which the author also tries to convince a woman to make love to him and "seize the day". The author points out a flea on the wall to the woman he loves. This parasite bit them both. Donne explains that this means that their blood is mixed inside the flea: "First it sucked me, and now it sucks you, and in this flea our two bloods have mixed." He says that no one would consider it a sin for their bodily fluids to mix inside an insect, in other words, he is suggesting that they have sex. Now she sensibly goes to kill the flea, but the perpetrator stops her. He says the flea represents the life of a married couple: "Oh stay, three lives in a spare flea, where we are almost, nay more than married." The author goes on to tell her that killing the flea means she is killing herself, the perpetrator, and sinning against the foundations of marriage. “This flea is you, me and this. Our marriage bed and the temple of marriage are.” It kills the flea "cruelly and suddenly," he says. Thinking that she has proven his accusations to be false, he says, “It's true; then learn how false the fear is: equally honor, when you surrender to me. It will waste, since the death of this flea has taken you away as.” “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” by.
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