![]() Other approaches to carpe diem encourage the reader to transcend the mundane, recognize the power of each moment, however brief, and value possibility for as long as possibility exists. Since Horace, poets have regularly adapted the sentiment of carpe diem as a means to several ends, most notably for procuring the affections of a beloved by pointing out the fleeting nature of life, as in Andrew Marvell's " To His Coy Mistress": At the close of "De rosis nascentibus," a poem attributed to both Ausonius and Virgil, the phrase "collige, virgo, rosas" appears, meaning "gather, girl, the roses." The expression urges the young woman to enjoy life and the freedom of youth before it passes. Various permutations of the phrase appear in other ancient works of verse, including the expression "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die," which is derived from the Biblical book of Isaiah. The Latin phrase carpe diem originated in the "Odes," a long series of poems composed by the Roman poet Horace in 65 B.C.E., in which he writes: The rallying cry of their classroom is carpe diem, popularized as "seize the day," although more literally translated as "pluck the day," referring to the gathering of moments like flowers, suggesting the ephemeral quality of life, as in Robert Herrick's " To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time," which begs readers to live life to its full potential, singing of the fleeting nature of life itself: "Believe it or not," he tells his students, "each and every one of us in this room is one day going to stop breathing, turn cold, and die." Send us feedback."We are food for worms, lads," announces John Keating, the unorthodox English teacher played by Robin Williams in the 1989 film Dead Poets Society. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'carpe diem.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. 2021 There’s never a perfect time to do IVF or have a baby, not even when there isn’t an ongoing global pandemic, so carpe diem. 2021 When Smith spoke to your entire team, his message had a carpe diem theme, reminding you to enjoy each step of the journey, to embrace opportunity, to stay present with an understanding that nothing in the future is promised.ĭan Wiederer,, 19 Aug. 2021 After all, what better way to carpe diem than dressed in head-to-toe Fendi? 2022 Plus, the wiser part of me knows that all this carpe diem business is better suited for those with brighter health outlooks than my brothers and me. 2022 Now is the time to embrace a carpe diem philosophy at warp speed.Ĭhris Carosa, Forbes, 30 Jan. 2022 The antidote to most existential woes is indeed gratitude, along with a healthy dose of carpe diem, and that comes across loud and clear. Recent Examples on the Web In this situation, the phrase carpe diem (seize the day) comes to mind.īob Macdonald, Forbes, 2 June 2022 The Detroit Red Wings have a carpe diem and carpe Devils approach to the final game of the season. Two centuries later, the phrase is found on mugs and T-shirts and in the names of various enterprises and organizations. While the sentiment has long been expressed in English, the phrase carpe diem didn't begin appearing in print in English until the early 19th century. One of the best-known examples (and an example featured prominently in Dead Poets Society) is in the first stanza of Robert Herrick's 1648 "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time": The 1989 movie Dead Poets Society introduced late-20th-century audiences to the phrase, but the sentiment has been expressed in many literatures, perhaps most famously in 16th- and 17th-century English poetry. His full injunction, "carpe diem quam minimum credula postero,” can be translated as “pluck the day, trusting as little as possible in the next one,” but carpe diem alone has come to be used as shorthand for this entire idea, which is more widely known as "seize the day." This Latin phrase, which literally means "pluck the day," was used by the Roman poet Horace to express the idea that we should enjoy life while we can.
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