To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time

The very first line of Herrick’s poem is a command, the first half of an imperative sentence. The speaker commands the virgins listed in the title to “gather” roses (Line 1). The “ye” that follows this infinitive verb form also refers back to the “virgins” to whom the poem is directed (Line 1). Unless readers take note of the title first, there is no indication here that these “virgins” are indeed the intended audience of the poem. Readers may just assume that the poet is simply addressing them directly as opposed to writing for a particular audience. The fact that the intended audience members are “virgins” indicates purity, innocence, and youth. Similarly, the “rose-buds” the speaker mentions symbolize youth, beauty, and passion. While this initial command to gather the flowers may seem pleasant and happy at first, the prepositional phrase at the end of the line introduces some tension. The speaker tells the women to gather the roses “while ye may” (Line 1), implying that they will not always have the roses to gather, and they will not always have their youth, beauty, and innocence.

The speaker echoes this sentiment in the second line when they mention “Old Time” (Line 2).