Robert Herrick: Virgins, Marriage, Death, and Carpe Diem opportunities while they are still young. He is able to illustrate his point in great detail using metaphors taken from nature. Additionally, Herrick writes that mortality and death are fast approaching and that virgins should marry before they are too old and time has passed them by. Herrick uses metaphors and the construction of the poem in a simple but memorable way to show the importance of seizing the opportunities of youth and the paradox of life leading to death. The rhyme and rhythm of “To Virgins” are quite simple, as is the message the poem conveys. The rhyme is in ABAB format. In each stanza, the last words of the first and third lines rhyme, and the last words of the second and fourth lines rhyme. For example, the last words "may" and "today" rhyme starting in lines one and three, respectively, and this pattern continues throughout the poem. The simplicity of the rhyme pattern is fundamental to the message. Herrick does not complicate the poem with tricky phrases or puns to create rhymes, but keeps the rhyme clean and precise, making his message memorable. Herrick uses seemingly opposite rhyming words to highlight his ideas like “steal” and “die” or “marry” and “tar,” while maintaining cohesion and simplicity. The meter is also quite simple, with odd lines being in iambic tetrameter. , meaning that each line has four feet containing one unstressed and one stressed syllable, except for the first foot of line 1 which contains a trochee instead of an iamb, having one stressed and one unstressed syllable accentuated...... middle of paper ......uth, time, death and mortality; the paradoxes of life causing death and beauty causing aging; and the musicality of the poem attached to a metaphysical understanding of it. Herrick accomplishes the task of interweaving emphasis and meaning within the 16 short lines of his poem using masterful control over simple rhyme and structure, with effective and brilliant result. The transcendence of this poem across generations is a testament to its ability to communicate the point, and ironically enough, the reason why it has survived the very test of time and youth that the poem speaks of, and is studied to this day. Cited Herrick, Robert. “To the virgins, to save a lot of time. » 1648. Approaching literature: reading + reflection + writing. Ed. Peter Shakel and Jack Ridl. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. 819. Print.

Essay / Robert Herrick: Virgins, Marriage, Death, and Carpe Diem opportunities while they are still young. He is able to illustrate his point in great detail using metaphors taken from nature. Additionally, Herrick writes that mortality and death are fast approaching and that virgins should marry before they are too old and time has passed them by. Herrick uses metaphors and the construction of the poem in a simple but memorable way to show the importance of seizing the opportunities of youth and the paradox of life leading to death. The rhyme and rhythm of “To Virgins” are quite simple, as is the message the poem conveys. The rhyme is in ABAB format. In each stanza, the last words of the first and third lines rhyme, and the last words of the second and fourth lines rhyme. For example, the last words "may" and "today" rhyme starting in lines one and three, respectively, and this pattern continues throughout the poem. The simplicity of the rhyme pattern is fundamental to the message. Herrick does not complicate the poem with tricky phrases or puns to create rhymes, but keeps the rhyme clean and precise, making his message memorable. Herrick uses seemingly opposite rhyming words to highlight his ideas like “steal” and “die” or “marry” and “tar,” while maintaining cohesion and simplicity. The meter is also quite simple, with odd lines being in iambic tetrameter. , meaning that each line has four feet containing one unstressed and one stressed syllable, except for the first foot of line 1 which contains a trochee instead of an iamb, having one stressed and one unstressed syllable accentuated...... middle of paper ......uth, time, death and mortality; the paradoxes of life causing death and beauty causing aging; and the musicality of the poem attached to a metaphysical understanding of it. Herrick accomplishes the task of interweaving emphasis and meaning within the 16 short lines of his poem using masterful control over simple rhyme and structure, with effective and brilliant result. The transcendence of this poem across generations is a testament to its ability to communicate the point, and ironically enough, the reason why it has survived the very test of time and youth that the poem speaks of, and is studied to this day. Cited Herrick, Robert. “To the virgins, to save a lot of time. » 1648. Approaching literature: reading + reflection + writing. Ed. Peter Shakel and Jack Ridl. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. 819. Print.

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