Philosophy to His Coy Mistress,

¶ … philosophy "To His Coy Mistress," "A Fine, a Private Place," "A Late Aubade," "We Real Cool," and "Sex Without Love." Specifically it will discuss how they exhibit the carpe diem philosophy. How do these poems, one of which was written centuries ago) relate to the age we live in now? Each of these poems embodies the idea of carpe diem in their own unique way. From dying young to underwater love, all of these poems signify significant moments in time and show how seizing the day can last a lifetime.

Each of these poems, modern or ancient, revolve around single moments in time that create lasting memories. "To His Coy Mistress" is the oldest of the poems, and uses the most archaic language to discuss love and devotion. Marvell writes, "But at my back I always hear / Time's winged chariot hurrying near;" (Marvell 728), which conveys a sense of urgency that "seizing the day" is built around. The initial idea of carpe diem is to live life to the fullest today, because their may not be a tomorrow.

So, you must always live each day as if it was your best, and your last. Each of these poets uses that theme to convey their ideas and meanings. For example, the woman who makes love under the sea has those memories to last with her forever. After the experience, she often thinks about that moment in time when she seized the day and it made all the difference. Ackerman writes, "She thought of it miles / and fathoms away, often, / at odd moments; watching / the minnow snowflakes" (Ackerman 734).

Seizing the day is living in the moment, but it also remembering and treasuring those wonderful moments, as this poem clearly shows. Sex Without Love" shows a different side of those memories, as does "We Real Cool." These two poems indicate the downside of seizing the day, because they show that living only in the moment can be destructive and negative. In "We Real Cool," the drifting dropouts have no purpose, no interests, and no real life. They "Lurk late. We / Strike straight. We / Sing sin. We / Thin gin.

We / Jazz June. We / Die soon" (Brooks 744). They are certainly living in the moment, but only choosing to seize the day with no hope for the future is not carpe diem at all, it is simply running away from the truth. That is not what King Henry II had in mind when he gave the ring to Eleanor of Aquitaine. He had in mind love, devotion, and using every moment possible for the best in life.

In "We Real Cool," the young pool players are not in fact seizing the day, they are wasting their lives doing exactly what they want to do, rather than doing what will pay them handsomely in the long run. The King and his lady did not shirk their duties, they simply made time to enjoy each other, and that is what seizing the day is really all about. In "A Late Aubade" the author shows living in the moment from another perspective.

He shows the main character of the poem in bed with a lover, and thinks about all the other things that they could be doing instead. He writes, "Think of all the time you are not / Wasting, and would not care to waste, / Such things, thank God, not being to your taste" (Wilbur 731). Thus, by seizing the moment and spending the afternoon in bed, she is not wasting her time in mindless tasks that will not mean anything to.