Old time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.
That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may go marry:
For having lost but once your prime
You may for ever tarry.
I really enjoyed this poem. It displays a lot of really good themes; don't waste time, make the best of life, carpe diem, don't live with regrets, and innocence and experience. The speaker of this poem is an older much wiser person who is speaking from experience. The audience is youth, younger generations. The speaker is trying to warn and prepare younger generations to not waste time, to live their lives to the fullest. He says "And this same flower that smiles to-day/To-morrow will be dying." These two lines sum up the entire poem. Flowers are young, beautiful, fresh and new. They are symbolic of a new beginning, of new life. That same flower that is young and full of life, could not be like that tomorrow. The speaker is telling younger people to seize the day, to make the best of life because we are not guaranteed tomorrow. The final lines of the poem are "For having lost but once your prime/You may for ever tarry." "Tarry" means to linger in expectation. The speaker is once again speaking to younger people and telling them that if they do not seize the day and make the best of life, they will forever tarry. They will live in expectation forever.
This poem made me realize that time does not last forever. We are given today, but not guaranteed tomorrow, so don't waste time. Live life to the fullest and experience every bit of it before it is taken from you.
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