The phrase "Carpe Diem" in the two poems "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time," by Robert Herrick, and "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell.

The phrase "carpe diem" is a powerful Latin phrase, that when translated into English means "seize the day." Themes of "carpe diem" were predominant in seventeenth century poetry, and this can be seen in the two poems, "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time," by Robert Herrick and "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell. Robert Herrick's, "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" is a popular poem in British literature, that professes …

…over the struggle of time. They both highlight how one must not only fight for the time they have, but also touch up on how time is so easily lost. Both poems make an effort to convince the reader that time is precious, and not something to be wasted. They both deliver a straightforward message to the reader to make the most out of time because it is irreplaceable, therefore you must sieze the day.