Robert Herrick Essay Research Paper Robert Herrick

Robert Herrick Essay, Research Paper

Robert Herrick and Andrew Marvell are both well know seventeenth century poets. Herrick’ s “to the Virgins to Make Much of Time” and Marvell’ s “To his Coy Mistress” have basically the same themes which are that one should not waste time, one should not be coy, and one should not yearn for a different age.

We should appreciate every moment we have because we only live once. In the poem “To the Virgins, to Make much of time” Herrick expresses how we must not put off the things we want to do because time doesn’t stop. “Gather all ye rose-buds?still a flying” is an example of this thought. In Andrew Marvell’s poem, “To his Coy Mistress” he also expresses the similar idea that they must not put off their love because time doesn’t last forever. The quote ” But at my back I always her?hurry near” expresses this idea.

Both poems also speak of how you should look not so much at the future or the past but to enjoy the present. Youth doesn’t last forever and it is the prime of ones life.

In Herrick’s poem he says “The age is best when it is first when youth and blood are warmer?forever tarry.” which means that ones younger years are the best ones and they never return after they are gone. In Marvell’s poem he says “While the youthful hue sits on the morning dew?slow chapt powers. ” means that they should enjoy their young love because it won’t last forever.

In Marvell and Herrick’s poems the word “coy” is in both of them. “Then do not be coy.. go merry” which is a quote from Herrick’s poem expresses how we must not hold back in our lives because a chance not taken may forever torment us. In Marvell’s poem the would coy is uses in the description of the lady “this coyness, Lady? love’s day,” which means that she must not waste time being bashful and shy because life is to short. Though both these poems use the word coy in a different way the thought of being reserved is shown in some way.

Mervill and Herrick’s poems have much in common such as their central ideas of Not wasting time, not being coy, and not looking ahead or back at another time. Both authors expressed the idea that time is valuable and is must not be wasted in any way because we never know when its going to end. As Yani, a famous musician, once said, “Life is precious, all of life, and one must try to take in as much of it as possible.”