Preview

To The Virgins To Make Much Of Time Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
762 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
To The Virgins To Make Much Of Time Analysis
“To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” by Robert Herrick is a poem about encouraging young women to make the most of their youth because just like flowers youth fades away. People should not take youth for granted because it is not permanent. The author uses images from nature to describe someone’s young age. The images he uses are a rose dying and the sun setting. He encourages the virgins to embrace their youth, use their time wisely to find a husband, and implies that ageing is not so great. The author encourages them not to be coy or shy, but rather to take an active role in pursuing marriage. The basic message of this poem is to take advantage of opportunities before they slip away. It promotes the idea of carpe diem, which is a Latin phrase encouraging readers to “seize the day” and not rely on the future. The Wife of Bath is someone who lives her life based on the message of Robert Herrick’s poem. She certainly lived life to the fullest, and didn’t put off pursuing her opportunities or desires. She has traveled to Jerusalem three times and has also been to other places in Europe. She is someone who uses her time wisely because The Wife of Bath has been married to five different husbands. She does not wait for opportunities to come …show more content…
The knight did not pursue his dreams instead lived a life of commitment to God and country. He waited too long for opportunities to come and failed to “seize the day”. On the other hand, the Wife of Bath spent her whole life living for the now. She never put off her desires, which is evidenced by her five husbands and many lovers. Robert Herrick explains in his poem that time keeps moving forward and that with each second youth is just a little bit closer to disappearing. This is why his message is to make the most of every day because all of us will eventually get old and

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Her clothes seemed to be very expensive just by long at them and how nice they are and to wonder how she is getting all the young guys when she’s not all that good looking. It’s very interesting how she’s getting all these guys and she’s not attractive she’s got a gap, she’s older, she’s always wearing a weird hat and especially on Sundays the hats bigger than the one from the previous days of the week. Wife of Bath was a very happy women always in a good mood dancing. Wife of Bath has a lot about her that says she like having a lot of men by her side especially younger then her.…

    • 649 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Chaucer's Wife of Bath is one of the most amazing characters in English Literature. She is a strong, clever, independent woman who knows what she likes and usually gets it. She is lusty and not shy about it. She exposes and mocks misogyny in various ways, showing just how misogynistic medieval society was. However, although her strong willed nature and mockery of this patriarchy is apparent, as an audience we still remain confused, and discover aspects of her characteristics and journey, which show that perhaps she is still trapped in this ideal male dominated world. The Wife of Bath, Alison is represented as a rare and unique woman in the initial portrayal of her in the prologue, but at the end of her prologue, the Wife of Bath succumbs to the pressure of society, conforms and becomes the medieval wife.…

    • 1594 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    This interpretation is weakened by the fact that the Wife of Bath herself conforms to a number of these misogynist and misogamist (antimarriage) stereotypes. For example, she describes herself as sexually voracious but at the same time as someone who only has sex to get money, thereby combining two contradictory stereotypes. She also describes how she dominated her husband, playing on a fear that was common to men, as the Pardoner’s nervous interjection reveals. Despite their contradictions, all of these ideas about…

    • 83 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Wife of Bath is an admirable women, but at the same time, she is not. Her actions may be to protect and take care of herself as a woman with no rights though they are not good and respectful to her husbands.…

    • 202 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    To Virgins, to Make Much of Time’s diction uses a less formal diction than Carpe Diem; however, it shares a similar tone and attitude. As the title suggests, the author is directing his philosophy to virgins. Herrick uses symbolism with the term virgin as it represents those who haven’t properly fulfilled their life. “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may… And this same flow that smiles today, / To-morrow will be dying.” (Herrick). The rosebuds represent the opportunities of life and how “virgins” waste their time…

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Wife of Bath's story compliments her (first or early on scene), since it bolsters the subject of control of men by ladies what she worked hard with every one of her spouses. Dissimilar to the next individuals who recount stories (or falsehoods), she doesn't speak to a social class, be that as it may she speaks to every one of the ladies in the medieval…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Showing her rank by her elegant clothes and red stocking, also eluding that she is likes her lovers. Wife of Bath is the opposite of the Nun loud and modern, not what a woman should be by their standards. Chaucer’s states, “There was a good WIFE OF beside BATH, /But she was somewhat deaf, and that was a pity. / Her kerchiefs were very fine in texture; /… Her stockings were of fine scarlet red, / Very closely laced, and shoes very supple and new. / She was a worthy woman all her life:/ She had (married) five husbands at the church door, /She knew, as it happened, about remedies for love / For she knew the old dance (tricks of the trade) of that art./ (Chaucer lines 445-476). Chaucer again eludes that she knows how to perform an abortion, “She knew about remedies for love” giving her rank as experienced and her behaviorism give air to a woman who can do what she pleases even though she had five husbands which was abnormal for the time…

    • 1736 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To The Virgins Analysis

    • 1356 Words
    • 6 Pages

    If you want to read about love and lust towards a group of young girls, or a single girl in particular, then read To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time or To Coy His Mistress. They are creepy, weird, but yet at the same time, actually leaves somewhat of a decent message. The two poems are very good, and thoughtful poems.…

    • 1356 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Primarily, the “Wife of Bath’s Tale” reveals that one should have sovereignty over her significant other. The Wife of Bath conspicuously states her…

    • 1296 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    After reading this line, readers are able to conclude that the Wife of Bath believes that women are superior to men—they are neither bold nor wise. The Wife of Bath wants to spread her cult—she wants the other women to become powerful and superior to their husbands—just like she is. For instance, line 234 translates to the following: a woman should swear and lie to their husband—they have the power to do it (Benson). In line 235, the Wife of Bath makes it clear that her advice is not meant for the wise wives (Benson). Therefore, the readers are able to argue that the wise wives that listen to her advice—take a moment to reflect on their wise manipulation skills. In line 236, the readers learn that the Wife of Bath’s advice is also intended to seek the attention of the wise wives that have been improperly advised on how to make their husbands feel guilty—by using their effective manipulation skills…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The wife of bath is a very confident woman who, in the prologue of her tale, talks about her five husbands. She seems very satisfied with her life and her choices; she is fulfilled regardless of the men she was married to. Even with all their deaths, she remains happy and independent. “But even now I will strive to be merry.” (Lines 478-479) The story she tells is about a knight who, after he rapes a young girl, is forced by the queen to find out what women desire the most. He finally discovers that what women want the most is to have sovereignty over their husbands. This goes directly along with the character of the wife of bath, who loved the control she had over her husbands more than anything else. The story proves that the answer to what women want the most is not just one static statement. What a person desires most in life depends on their own character and their own…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Robert Herrick's poem, "To the Virgins to make much of Time," focuses upon the idea of carpe diem. The poem stresses the idea of marriage while love and flesh are still young, or one may suffer in their later years alone and loveless. Herrick believes this gift of virginity to be a great waste if not given while it is still desirable. Virginity is a gift for the simple reason that it can only be given once to one person, which he believes should be the husband. Therefore, he says to go out and find husbands, for youth is not perpetual and will eventually succumb to old age and loneliness. Through Herrick's use of colorful imagery and personification, the reader detects a sense of urgency and duty for the virgins to go forth and marry while love is young,creating the overall idea of carpe diem.…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The 'Wife of Bath's Prologue' is an in-depth, perceptive examination of the conflict between male and female for power and sovereignty. Through the Wife of Bath, the use of female sexuality versus masculine 'textuality' is explored and how women are dependent on marriage for independence in a traditional patriarchal society. The pervading issue throughout the prologue is 'experience' against 'authority' as the Wife of Bath presents arguments in the form of a confessional autobiography to define the role of women over men with a strong feminist slant.…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    That saying some life’s journey can change a boy to a man, well that quote runs fluid with the story of The Wife of Bath. The reader follows a young knight's journey to find what women want the most, the knight sees the trip as just a way to escape capital punishment but what he learns will be a true test to his growing up. The young knight may not be the smartest and most likely character but what he does leave the readers with is a lesson for all sorts and shapes. His journey for searching for an answer to a question to escape punishment lead him to something much greater and valuable than he thought. The journey of the young knight allows the reader to engage in how the knight feels, thinks and acts and teaches many lessons that the reader can relate to.…

    • 958 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marvell vs Herrick

    • 752 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Both Marvell and Herrick used metaphors in their writing. In To His Coy Mistress, Marvell writes, "Had we but world enough, and time, This coyness lady were no crime,"(414). This is a metaphor saying that if they had all the time in the world to spend together that he would not be so worried about getting married right away. Herrick says in To the Virgins to Make Much of Time, "And this same flower that smiles today Tomorrow will be dying,"(416). This means that whatever man likes a girl today, tomorrow may like somebody else. Both Marvell and Herrick's poems are in the form of an argument, they are trying to convince the young women in the poems to forget their morals and live life like it should be lived. Both poets also used personification in their writing. Marvell personifies youth by comparing it to a drop of dew, "Now therefore, while the youthful hew sit on thy skin like morning dew,…" (415). Here he is saying that like dew youth does not stay around forever. In Herrick's poem he gives the sun life-like qualities in the line, "The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, The higher he's a-getting, The sooner will his race be run, And nearer he's to setting."(416). Herrick is saying that if these girls don't live life now that they will miss their prime and will not have any fun while they live. Both Carpe Diem poets feel that young girls are not taking advantage of their youth and they are going to miss the best part of life.…

    • 752 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays