Memento mori/carpe diem poems
Let you be wise, let you strain the wine, and cut back long hope
into a short period. While we speak, envious time will
have fled: pluck the day, trusting as little as possible to the next one.
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he’s a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he’s to setting.
That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may, go marry;
For having lost but once your prime,
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time, Robert Herrick
Now let us sport us while we may,
And now, like amorous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour
Than languish in his slow-chapt power.
Let us roll all our strength and all
Our sweetness up into one ball,
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Thorough the iron gates of life:
Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run.
From To His Coy Mistress, Andrew Marvell
And here face down beneath the sun
And here upon earth's noonward height
To feel the always coming on
The always rising of the night:
From You, Andrew Marvell, Archibald MacLeish
Knew the sun was hot that day
So he said, "Let's run and we'll have some fun
Frosty the Snowman, Walter Rollins and Steve Nelson
Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux,
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
