17 pages • 34 minutes read
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
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Symbols & Motifs
Sun
The sun is used in literature to represent many different qualities, including “life, energy, positivity, clarity, and confidence” ("Sun Symbolism (7 Meanings in Culture & Spirituality)." Symbolism and Metaphor, 16 Jan. 2021). The sun is intimately woven with various systems of deities from cultures around the world; the Egyptians worshipped Ra and Horus, while the Greeks worshipped Apollo and the Romans worshipped Sol. In addition to deistic associations, the sun was also appropriated by human figures for rhetorical purposes as well: “For instance, Louis XIV, also known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, chose the sun as his symbol as he set out to restore peace and assume total control of his lands” ("Sun Symbolism (7 Meanings in Culture & Spirituality)." The sun referenced in Herrick’s poem initially seems to have some of these same symbolic meanings. Referred to as “the glorious lamp of heaven” (Line 5), the sun has divine, positive connotations. However, Herrick uses the sun imagery more to show the opposite, that is, what happens when the sun is “setting” (Line 8). The symbolism of the sun and its path towards day’s end highlights the waning, transient nature of life.
Flowers
Just as the sun represents life and its eventual inevitable deterioration, the speaker similarly employs the image of the flower. Also like the sun, flower imagery has been a tried and true symbol employed in literature for centuries:
From new life to death, from purity to passion, flowers have had many meanings in myths and legends. Swelling from tender bud to full bloom, flowers are associated with youth, beauty, and pleasure. But as they wilt and die, flowers represent fragility and the swift passage from life into death ("Flowers in Mythology." Encyclopedia.com, 2019).
Various flowers carry their own individualized meanings as well. The flower the speaker in Herrick’s poem specifically chooses is the rose, which Herrick references as “rose-buds” (Line 1). In Roman times, the rose was associated with death and rebirth. Christian references connect the rose to Mary, the Mother of God, as well as to the blood of martyrs. Roses have also traditionally carried connotations of love. Romans would place roses in bedrooms to “represent the love and beauty that Venus was known for” ("The History of Roses: Why Are They So Romantic?" Bedford Village Flower Shoppe, 22 March 2019). Venus is the Roman goddess of love, sex, and fertility. The specific reference to roses connects with the poem’s audience, the virgins who are withholding sexual gratification from the speaker and not fully giving in to their love and passion. Simultaneously, the roses also help to reinforce the notion of the passage of time, as the flower “smiles today” (Line 3) but the next day is “dying” (Line 4).
Virgins
While “virgins” are never mentioned explicitly in the body of the poem and are only stated in the poem’s title, they are still an important feature of the work. Virgins, those who have not yet engaged in sexual intercourse, represent purity, chastity, and innocence. The affiliation between virginity and Mary, the Mother of God, (often referred to as the Virgin Mary) lends a divine quality to virginity as well. In Herrick’s poem, the virgins represent the sexual gratification unavailable to the speaker and the possible motive behind the speaker’s plea. The virgins also represent the antithesis of what the speaker argues for. If virgins symbolize abstinence, then the speaker promotes its opposite: indulgence. The speaker desires their readers to give into the pleasures of life rather than forgo all that life has to offer.
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By Robert Herrick
