17 pages • 34 minutes read
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
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Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“The Argument of His Book” by Robert Herrick (1648)
Herrick’s poem serves as a table of contents to the larger work it introduces, Hesperides. The poem fits the lyrical genre of poetry popular during the 17th century and reflects the turmoil of the English Civil War during which it was produced. The poem discusses the power of creative expression, the pervasiveness of divine design, and the interconnectedness of all humanity.
“Delight in Disorder” by Robert Herrick (1648)
“Delight in Disorder” is also published in Herrick’s 1648 collection Hesperides. In the poem, the speaker describes what they find most attractive and alluring about a woman. Rather than having every article of clothing in place and properly positioned, the speaker finds dishevelment more attractive. They love to see a piece of lace out of place, or an untied shoestring, as opposed to over-attention on perfection.
“Of Love” by Robert Herrick (1648)
“Of Love” is a sonnet published by Herrick in his 1648 collection Hesperides. The poem playfully questions the origin of love, and how it exists within a single individual. The poem concludes by describing love’s residence in the heart, and the connection that exists between the heart and the object of its affections.
Further Literary Resources
"A Possible Echo of Herrick in Shelley’s The Flower That Smiles Today" by Andrew Lacey (2014)
Lacey draws a line of comparison between Herrick writing in the 17th century, and Percy Bysshe Shelley who wrote in the 18th/19th centuries. Though writing over a century apart, these two authors both enter into the carpe diem genre of literature. Lacey argues that in his poem “The flower that smiles today” (which was published as “Mutability” in posthumous collection), Shelley specifically draws on Herrick’s “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” for inspiration.
"Ungathering ‘Gather ye Rosebuds’: Herrick’s Misreading of Carpe Diem" by Sarah Gilead (1985)
Gilead challenges the common labeling of Herrick’s poem “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” as a traditional carpe diem poem. “The longer the reader searches for the carpe diem message in Herrick’s obviously carpe diem poem,” Gilead argues, “the greater difficulty she has in finding it” (150). While the carpe diem theme may initially seem obvious and unquestionable to readers of Herrick’s work, digging deeper into the poem complicates the text’s message.
"Care and Security in Jonson and Herrick" by Joshua Scodel (2020)
Jonson and Herrick, according to Scodel, both feature the themes of care and security in their texts. Scodel analyzes how Jonson depicts “modes of care such as ethical vigilance and concern for others to warn against dangerous ‘security’ or freedom from care.” Similarly, Scodel shows how Herrick portrays care and security “to celebrate a life combining carefree happiness with loving care.”
Listen to the Poem
While the legendary comedian and actor Robin Williams does not read the entire Herrick poem in the 1989 classic film Dead Poets Society, this is perhaps one of the most famous contemporary allusions to the poem as John Keating (Robin Williams) seeks to instill important life lessons into his students.
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By Robert Herrick
