Comparing Robert Herrick's "To Virgins Make Plenty of Time" and Alfred Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott", we see some similarities. Herrick's poem, addressed "to virgins", can be read as a warning to young women to marry when young, but its message to all readers is that we live our lives to the fullest, enjoy our youth, and find love everything we can. Tennyson's poem illustrates this idea: the Lady of Shalott, sitting in her tower isolated from the world, alone, decides to leave her tower to follow the man she loves, whatever the cost. Herrick's "To the Virgins, to Save Much Time" is perhaps more blatant in its message, but when we examine the text we see that Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" shares the theme that life is too short to live and die alone, and we shouldn't wait to find love. Robert Herrick’s “To the Virgins, To Save Much Time” warns us that life is short and youth will not last forever. The title of the poem addresses the “virgins” or the inexperienced. Although this could be read in the sexual context of the word, we could interpret that Herrick is addressing all readers who have not fully experienced life and love in general. It begins: “Gather the rosebuds while you can, / The good old days still fly” (1-2). The use of the word "rosebud" gives the imagery of a flower that has not been exposed or opened to the world. It also evokes the feeling of youth, as a rosebud has not yet fully bloomed. “Old Time” is capitalized, making it a real entity that will not last forever, because it is “old.” In the second stanza, Herrick further emphasizes the urgency of living one's life to the fullest before it ends: The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, The higher it rises, The sooner its course will be over…. .. middle of paper ...on poems share the idea that we should actively live our lives. We should not just live passively and not experience love. Herrick's final message "to the virgins" of his poem is that we marry young before we lose our luck and be alone forever. Tennyson's poem is the story of The Lady of Shalott who lived isolated from the world and spent her last hours of life searching for the knight she loved. Like virgins urged to make the most of what they have before time runs out, the Lady of Shalott followed her love – her last living act – so that her life would not be in vain. She died following her heart, no longer content to sit in her tower. Both Herrick and Tennyson's poems share the theme of making the most of every moment we have, especially when it comes to finding love, so that we are not isolated and alone when the "sun goes to bed »..”

Essay / Comparing Robert Herrick's "To Virgins Make Plenty of Time" and Alfred Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott", we see some similarities. Herrick's poem, addressed "to virgins", can be read as a warning to young women to marry when young, but its message to all readers is that we live our lives to the fullest, enjoy our youth, and find love everything we can. Tennyson's poem illustrates this idea: the Lady of Shalott, sitting in her tower isolated from the world, alone, decides to leave her tower to follow the man she loves, whatever the cost. Herrick's "To the Virgins, to Save Much Time" is perhaps more blatant in its message, but when we examine the text we see that Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" shares the theme that life is too short to live and die alone, and we shouldn't wait to find love. Robert Herrick’s “To the Virgins, To Save Much Time” warns us that life is short and youth will not last forever. The title of the poem addresses the “virgins” or the inexperienced. Although this could be read in the sexual context of the word, we could interpret that Herrick is addressing all readers who have not fully experienced life and love in general. It begins: “Gather the rosebuds while you can, / The good old days still fly” (1-2). The use of the word "rosebud" gives the imagery of a flower that has not been exposed or opened to the world. It also evokes the feeling of youth, as a rosebud has not yet fully bloomed. “Old Time” is capitalized, making it a real entity that will not last forever, because it is “old.” In the second stanza, Herrick further emphasizes the urgency of living one's life to the fullest before it ends: The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, The higher it rises, The sooner its course will be over…. .. middle of paper ...on poems share the idea that we should actively live our lives. We should not just live passively and not experience love. Herrick's final message "to the virgins" of his poem is that we marry young before we lose our luck and be alone forever. Tennyson's poem is the story of The Lady of Shalott who lived isolated from the world and spent her last hours of life searching for the knight she loved. Like virgins urged to make the most of what they have before time runs out, the Lady of Shalott followed her love – her last living act – so that her life would not be in vain. She died following her heart, no longer content to sit in her tower. Both Herrick and Tennyson's poems share the theme of making the most of every moment we have, especially when it comes to finding love, so that we are not isolated and alone when the "sun goes to bed »..”

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