Analytical Essay About Poetry

Robert Herrick’s “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time,” drafted in 1648 is one of the greatest pieces of poems written in the 17th century. Just as the title suggests, the poem is addressed to the group of virgin girls or young women who by that time were not yet married. In the poem, the speaker advices the young women about life using both the older and the wiser perspectives. It is evident that the speaker is focusing on life’s brevity and time even though the attitude is not demonstrated with negativity, desperation and nostalgia. The message that the speaker tries to pass in the poem is that the youths, that is, the young ladies, ought to utilize their time to the maximum during this period of “innocence.” most apparently, the poem’s theme addresses promiscuity too, though not reflected in the body (Kenned and Gioia, 2012).
The poem is written in the first person’s view point and the speaker in the poem applies the use of imperative tone in emphasizing the most important messages to its audience. The innocent youths are encouraged to get hold of life and not to leave anything for chance. The poem is written in quatrains, with each stanza having four lines (Kennedy and Gioia, 2012). The rhyme scheme is clearly shown, which is noticed in each and every line. The poem teaches its audience that each single day that they live, they moves towards their old age. For this reason, it reiterates that virginity is a privilege that can only be enjoyed once in a lifetime. According to this poet, the gift is meant for the husband. Conversely, if “virginity” in this case is applying to the case of men, therefore it is meant for their wives.
In the introductory stanza, the poem encourages the youths to get hold of life. Gathering the rosebuds is a metaphor used in showing how the youths are expected to live their lives to the fullest. The rosebuds are symbols of virginity and youths. As the rose blooms and opens, it starts to die. The same applies for men. The today’s...