Sample Essay

Both poets use powerful and vivid imagery to build their theme of ‘Carpe Diem’. One of the most powerful imagery used by each is that of time flying by. Andrew Marvell compares passing time to a ‘winged chariot’ and Robert Herrick builds upon the imagery of time to stress on his theme by explaining how ‘Old time is still a-flying’. Another piece of imagery which also stresses on the themes in the poems is that of the sun racing by.

This image is linked to that of time and serves the same purpose. Both these images serve the purpose of creating an atmosphere of time rushing by making it important to act in the present. Robert Herrick uses the image of a rosebud to emphasize his theme of passing time and ‘Carpe Diem’. The poet compares a beautiful fresh rosebud that is smiling today that will be dead tomorrow. This comparison again emphasizes the image of passing time and how important it is to act now.

Both these poems emphasize on the theme of ‘Carpe Diem’. They explain that time moves away fast and takes away with it beauty and passion which is why it is important to seize life now. Both poets use tone, language and imagery to develop their theme. They use these tools to compare what is possible now if they seize life today and the pointlessness and the waste in simply waiting for tomorrow.

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