An Explication Of To The Virgins To

Make Much Of Time Essay, Research Paper

The tiltle To the Virgins, to Make much of time, gives a hint as to the meaning of the work. We gleam from the title that Time is going to be significant. However, we cannot know what the context of time is without the benefit of reading further. We also learn that Virgins plays an integral part of this work. Somehow the two become connected and reflect innocence and time.

The thoughts of time going quickly reflect throughout the poemm. The opening stanza gives the illumination of time ending soon. The speaker is quite direct in this thought and continues to carry this theme through the entire work. Stanza two reflects the ending of the day and signifies that life ends all too soon as well. The third stanza gives reference to the fact that prime years are short and once lost are never retrieved again. The final stanza supports the third with the lines:

For having lost but once your prime,

you may forever tarry.

Lost but once your prime is a reflection of lost innocence illuding to the virgins. If your inncocene is lost then you are in for the worst of times. Be prepared and live now in the moment. Take this time to marry and prepare for the rest of your life.