Poem 4/20

The poem, "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" by Robert Herrick from the title my first impression is another poem their targets this universal idea of innocent and the innocence being lost along one's path in the world. I say this because the word 'virgin's implies innocence and purity. Another word in the first line of the poem 'rose-buds' again makes the target seem it's again the innocent. Rose buds I think of early spring, no full bloomed flowers yet. Also I think of the word/phrase 'deflowered'. This is weird to bring up but it connects, this word is often used when referring to a woman loosing their virginity. Which would be almost foreshadowing the idea innocence and losing that aspect of one's self. After reading the poem I got the same impression from the authors choice of words and attitude. I interpreted this similar idea but slightly more towards the idea of getting married, ("gather ye rose-buds", "marry") and satirizing the urge to get married in young girls. The poem plays on this idea of how in the American culture we 'teach' girls to want to get married, like it's a life achievement and once you are 'of age' everyone needs to rush and find a husband. This one specific line really expresses this this idea. "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." In this line, I got really sad because I realized that in our culture we drill in it little girls minds that marriage is less of a want and natural given but more of a essential for survival. And when I thought about it I found it sad girls are so pressured into these 'cultural norms'. "And while ye may, go marry; For having lost but once your prime, You may forever tarry." Women eventually lose their opportunity to live their individual lives, follow their dreams, and are no longer in their "prime"; the point in one's life where they are at their peak of mental, physical, emotional, and financial capacity. This was basically a satire or parody of the American culture to push people to think about the reality's of the world.