1. To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time By Robert Herrick
Poetry Explication
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
By Robert Herrick

2. Voice Who is speaking? A male with wisdom or regrets
How would you characterize the speaker?
Perhaps a bit moralistic
What is the speaker’s tone?
Urgent, warning
Why is he or she speaking?
Either to win a young woman’s affection or to warn young people to live life outloud

3. Word Choice, Word Order What type of diction is the poet employing?
Imperative: almost a command
How does the poet’s word choice affect the meaning of the poem, the tone?
It seems to be a bit bossy and negative and definitely chauvinistic but maybe realistic for the time period when people died young and unmarried women had no place in society.
Figures of speech?
Metaphor “Gather ye Rosebuds” “Glorious lamp” “Race will be run” ; Extended metaphor the rising sun to the setting sun)
Personification (smiling and dying flowers, Time)
Does the word order impact the reading or meaning of the poem? It effects the rhyme scheme and the rhythm. The poem has a definite beat with powerful ideas at the end of each line. The last stanza moves away from figurative language to a no-nonsense message.

4. Imagery Descriptive passages? Warm blood of youth; wasting time
What senses are being appealed to?
Sight, touch
Dominant impression is being made?
That of the swiftness of time through the images
Relationship of images to speaker’s state of mind?
Show his sense of urgency or maybe regret?
Sense of time of day? Day to night Season? Flowers blooming to dying Atmosphere? While the subject matter is somewhat dark, the bouncing tone gives in kind of a fun and playful tone.
Mood? Positive to negative
Progression of images?
The images move from fresh, young, and light, to wilted, old, and dark

5. Sound An obvious meter or rhythm? Sing-song; nursery rhyme like
What sounds are emphasized by the rhyme scheme?
End rhymes are emphasized: contrast (may, flying; today, dying) rising sun vs. setting sun
Are there sight rhythms? Slant rhythms? Alliteration? Assonance? Worse, worst

6. Structure Is the poem in a closed or open form?
Closed: very structured
Is the poem presented in a traditional form?
Traditional and not free verse
Is there a pattern of end-rhymes? A syllabic line count? A set metrical pattern?
Pattern abab/ cdcd/efef/ghgh
How are the stanzas arranged?
The message builds with each stanza with the main point in the last stanza

7. Theme What seems to be the point of the poem?
Take advantage of opportunities while they are still available.
What ideas are being communicated by the speaker? The speaker is communicating the ideas that young girls should not play hard to get but find love when it is available.
How are the ideas being reinforced by the elements of the poem?
The combination of images, metaphor, personification and arrangement of the stanzas give examples of how time can pass quickly if one does not take advantage of what’s available.

8. Other Factors to Consider
Is this poem a lyric or a narrative or other?
Does the poem employ the use of symbol, allegory, allusion, or myth?
The poem is a lyric poem, so there is not a plot. The symbols for the passing time include the sun, the rosebuds, youth, and losing one’s prime.