Robert Herrick is a very prominent poet and regarded as the most devoted of the Sons of
Ben, and also he is a Cavalier poet. Additionally, Robert Herrick is best kenned for
Hesperides, a book of poems. This includes the carpe diem poem "To the Virgins, to
Make Much of Time", this poem contains one or two Cavalier characteristics.
First of all, one of the Cavalier characteristic is focusing on the gratifications of the
moment. For example, on the first line of the first stanza, the poet tells women that enjoy
the moment and life while we have the time, youth, and energy.
Secondly, using of metaphor is the other characteristic of the Cavalier poetry. On the first
line of the second stanza is an instance of this characteristic because the sun is compared
to the glorious lamp of heaven.
To sum up, Robert Herrick is a very important Cavalier poet, and his poem “To the
Virgins, to Make Much of Time” has several Cavalier characteristics such as enjoying the
moment and using metaphor in poems.
Murathan Yılmaz
