Carpe Diem?

Had we but world enough, and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime.
We would sit down and think which way
To walk, and pass our long love's day;
Thou by the Indian Ganges' side
Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide
Of Humber would complain. I would
Love you ten years before the Flood;
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews.
My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires, and more slow.
An hundred years should go to praise
Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
Two hundred to adore each breast,
But thirty thousand to the rest;
An age at least to every part,
And the last age should show your heart.
For, lady, you deserve this state,
Nor would I love at lower rate.

But at my back I always hear
Time's winged chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
Thy beauty shall no more be found,
Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
My echoing song; then worms shall try
That long preserv'd virginity,
And your quaint honour turn to dust,
And into ashes all my lust.
The grave's a fine and private place,
But none I think do there embrace.

Now therefore, while the youthful hue
Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
And while thy willing soul transpires
At every pore with instant fires,
Now let us sport us while we may;
And now, like am'rous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour,
Than languish in his slow-chapp'd power.
Let us roll all our strength, and all
Our sweetness, up into one ball;
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Thorough the iron gates of life.
Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run.

*Here is another one of the Carpe Diem themed poems. This one fits with how I had been feeling. I say had, because today I have lost all ambition for my wishes of the future. I hate holding everything inside. This lack of ambition will probably soon pass with the rise of some better days, but I don't know how much longer I will last. But nobody likes to listen to my depressive ramblings so without further ado allow me to dissect this great poem by Marvell for you all.

Had we but world enough, and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime.
(He is saying that should time not exist, and we not be controlled by it, the question of impending death would not exist. Therefore, the idea of siezing the day would no longer matter.)
We would sit down and think which way
To walk, and pass our long love's day;
Thou by the Indian Ganges' side
Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide
Of Humber would complain. I would
Love you ten years before the Flood;
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews.
My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires, and more slow.
(He is saying his love is natural, and organic; and given the opportunity it would grow immensely.)
An hundred years should go to praise
Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
Two hundred to adore each breast,
But thirty thousand to the rest;
An age at least to every part,
And the last age should show your heart.
For, lady, you deserve this state,
Nor would I love at lower rate.
(His love is dignified. It is easy to read this poem and see a carnal image of sexuality and love, but that is not the case. He is not simply lusting, but is enamored by the woman he is in love with.)

But at my back I always hear
Time's winged chariot hurrying near;
(Death is imminent, he can feel it's approach)
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
Thy beauty shall no more be found,
(Each passing day ages them, and with that each passing day is a day wasted when they could have been together.)
Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
My echoing song; then worms shall try
That long preserv'd virginity,
(Once again the author is not merely speaking on carnal images of sex, his love is deeper, and virginity holds a much more dignified thought. Virginity is a display used to reference the consummation of marriage, and thus an eternal bond between him and his lover.)
And your quaint honour turn to dust,
And into ashes all my lust.
The grave's a fine and private place,
But none I think do there embrace.
(The speaker is grasping the idea of living for today, because when we are dead the opportunity to be together will not be there. They cannot hug/embrace one another from the grave)

Now therefore, while the youthful hue
Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
And while thy willing soul transpires
At every pore with instant fires,
Now let us sport us while we may;
(He is saying let us live for today when we have the chance.)
And now, like am'rous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour,
Than languish in his slow-chapp'd power.
(This wait, it's frustrating. The author is displaying an aggressive desire, his will, to be with this person.)
Let us roll all our strength, and all
Our sweetness, up into one ball;
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Thorough the iron gates of life.
(The author is telling himself and his lover to fight against time, to live for today and plan for the future, instead of allowing time to pass and thus be in control.)
Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run.
(This is a reference to the biblical story of the sun involving the battle in Israel. He is saying that though he cannot make the sun shine all day and stop time from passing, they can make the sun (time) run by using it wisely and living like every second counts.)

*Overall the author is using the 'seize the day' theme to show us that the future is not guaranteed, and that the time we spend right now matters just as much as the time we spend 10 years from now. He is offering the stance that even though he and is lover are young, there love is true; and then why should they wait on time to be together forever. The idea of seizing the day is an interesting and optimistic theme, but today my heart just isn't in it.