Age saw two quiet children
Go loving by at twilight,
He knew not whether homeward,
Or outward from the village,
Or (chimes were ringing) churchward,
He waited, (they were strangers)
Till they were out of hearing
To bid them both be happy.
"Be happy, happy, happy,
And seize the day of pleasure."
The age-long theme is Age's.
'Twas Age imposed on poems
Their gather-roses burden
To warn against the danger
That overtaken lovers
From being overflooded
With happiness should have it.
And yet not know they have it.
But bid life seize the present?
It lives less in the present
Than in the future always,
And less in both together
Than in the past. The present
Is too much for the senses,
Too crowding, too confusing-
Too present to imagine.
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Carpe Diem is awesome. Hands down.
From guest Katol (contact)
i really like this. it gives me the right to do anything... hehe/ -
The Present
From guest Bert (contact)
Frost uses a character, Age, and the poetic voice to discuss the oft-repeated command of carpe diem. He gives full attention, in the narrative portion of the poem, to that very phrase. Age sees a couple, young to him, who pass by. Commanding them to be happy, he bids them not waste the pleasure of present youth. However, the poetic voice comes in to reconsider this suggestion. He sums up the argument of Age in the middle third of the poem. The turn comes with the question "But bid life seize the present?" Here he takes the common order and asks if one can actually seize the present. Can one be sensible in the present? The poetic voice suggests the answer is no. The present is always happening all at once, moving past and starting again, so that one's mind cannot contain it. We live life in the present, but our minds do not focus clearly enough fast enough to understand the present. This suggests that one cannot fully know the present, and, to go back to the title of the poem, this further implies that one cannot truly seize the day, because it is ever- present and ever-fleeting. -
Forward movement comes from Vision
From guest Steve (contact)
I think Frost is challenging us to never lose sight that once present is attained the future must be moved into. Everyone knows what a life with no goals for the future amounts to. When you aim at nothing you'll always attain it. He challenges us to know the present, enjoy it but look ahead while remembering the past. I believe he calls us to balance. -
Carpe Diem
From guest Bella (contact)
I think it's a very sentimental and almost a didactic poem. I believe what this is saying is that as we grow older, and as days go by, we lose sight of our immediate setting. We become oblivious to our happiness, instead we fall victims of our past and our future. In our minds we live in the future planning our grandeur thoughts and expectations whilst reflecting back on our regrets in the past. I love this bit : "With happiness should have it. And yet not know they have it." Thus we must "Carpe Diem" or "Seize the Day" right now. Live in the moment and don't be so distracted on obscured and abstract thoughts. Live in the present for your present will become you're past and your future the present. -
My favorite Carpe Diem poem, and perhaps my favorite poem by Frost. That desperate line "be happy, happy, happy"
From guest Laurie (contact)
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This poem at first seemed a bit confusing to me. but as i think on it, i find it makes more sense. however bustling and busy the present is. it is the present, and if you are to focused on the future, eventually there will be no past for you didnt take it in while it was the present. happiness is in the present, only a residue is left behind as time fades away.
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From guest Siri L. (contact)
In response to last comment- I think it's more about how we think too much about our future, regret too much of our past, and therefore the present is too much to think about so we might as well just live it instead of always analyzing it...hense Carpe Diem. -
From guest Sarah M. (contact)
this poem is very contradicting. frost begins by saying carpe diem to the newlywed couple, but then contradicts the thought of carpe diem. he changes his thoughts that its not possible to actually 'seize the moment' because it keeps turnign into the past. therefore he comes to conclude that living in the present is to complicated,confusing,and almost impossible and you almost need to live in the futor. so looking back on the beginning, frost is almost mocking father time. well atleast thats just my thoughts -
Wool-gathering..
I like this quite a lot. It has the sound and feel of a well worn sweater. It is the priviledge of "Age" to ponder the past, there is more for the aged to ponder there than for the young. Age sees the present as too pressing upon each moment at a time when he is tired and wants to be still and enjoy his ponderings. Just a lovely poem of an old man remembering with a touch of envy perhaps, his lost years of youth and sensing so close the 'future' he seems to prefer NOT to imagine. -
on seeing a loving young couple... the poet's heart wishes that they dont outgrow out of their love and happiness... to value and realize it each day and live in the present moment...
as usually people have the tendency to dwell in the past and sometimes... give much thought to plans and dreams of future... and miss the essence of life at the present moment ...
and he reasons ... perhaps it happens because of too much reality and practicality crowding the present.
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how would you interpret this?
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I agree with Frost's assessment about the present, often. But sometimes we're lucky enough to recognize it as it's happening.
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