Carpe diem
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Carpe diem is a phrase from a Latin poem by Horace. It is popularly translated from the movie Dead Poets Society as "seize the day". Often used by "Romance" Poets. The general definition of carpe is "pick, pluck, pluck off, gather" as in plucking or picking a rose or apple, although Horace uses the word in the sense of "enjoy, make use of, seize."[1]
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[edit] Source
Original usage from Odes 1.11, in Latin and English:
| Tu ne quaesieris, scire nefas, quem mihi, quem tibi | Leuconoe, don't ask — it's dangerous to know — |
| finem di dederint, Leuconoe, nec Babylonios | what end the gods will give me or you. Don't play with Babylonian |
| temptaris numeros. ut melius, quidquid erit, pati. | fortune-telling either. Better just deal with whatever comes your way. |
| seu pluris hiemes seu tribuit Iuppiter ultimam, | Whether you'll see several more winters or whether the last one |
| quae nunc oppositis debilitat pumicibus mare | Jupiter gives you is the one even now pelting the rocks on the shore with the waves |
| Tyrrhenum: sapias, vina liques et spatio brevi | of the Tyrrhenian sea — be smart, drink your wine. Scale back your long hopes |
| spem longam reseces. dum loquimur, fugerit invida | to a short period. While we speak, time is envious and |
| aetas: carpe diem quam minimum credula postero. | is running away from us. Seize the day, trusting little in the future. |
[edit] Meaning of the phrase
The most common interpretation of the phrase is as an existential cautionary term with emphasis on making the most of current opportunities because life is short and time is fleeting. It is thematically related to several other expressions and phrases.
[edit] Related expressions
Evoking some of the same meaning is the expression "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die", which derives from Biblical verses (such as Isaiah 22:13), and which occurs many times in modern English-language popular culture.
The phrase collige virgo rosas ("gather, girl, the roses") appears at the end of the poem De rosis nascentibus[2] (also called Idyllium de rosis) attributed to Ausonius or Virgil. It encourages youth to enjoy life before it's too late.
Related but distinct is the expression memento mori ("remember that you are mortal"); indeed, memento mori is often used with some of the sense of carpe diem. However, two major elements of memento mori are humility and repentance, neither of which figures prominently in the concept of carpe diem.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Siduri attempts to dissuade Gilgamesh in his quest for immortality, urging him to enjoy life as it is: "As for you, Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things; day and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice. Let your clothes be fresh, bathe yourself in water, cherish the little child that holds your hand, and make your wife happy in your embrace; for this too is the lot of man."
In the Ecclesiastes (9,7-9):
- 7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
- 8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
- 9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
[edit] In literature
- In Darkly Dreaming Dexter the title charcter Dexter mistakenly translates carpe diem as meaning complain in daylight.
- This idea was popular among 16th and 17th-century poets. French poet Pierre de Ronsard for example, who wrote Cueillez dès aujourd'hui les roses de la vie (Sonnets pour Hélène, 1578), or Robert Herrick, whose To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time begins with "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may".[3]
- This theme is also recalled in the verses of English Victorian poet Tennyson, and in Andrew Marvell's famous To His Coy Mistress.
- The 'O mistress mine' song sung by the clown in Act II, Scene iii of William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night has been referred to as having the spirit of carpe diem in it because of the line 'Youth's a stuff will not endure', amongst others.
- In Shakespeare's Hamlet (act V scene ii), Hamlet observes that "There's a divinity that shapes our ends," and says a few words about how fate is inescapable. He concludes that "the readiness is all." In other words, a person should act now, or seize the moment, whether it seems favorable or not. As Horace says, we should not subject ourselves to augury.
- Carpe diem is also used to denote the theme of Christopher Marlowe's The Passionate Shepherd to His Love.
- Saul Bellow's novella Seize the Day deals with this idea of living for the moment vs. worrying about the future.
- The phrase inspired the title of Terry Pratchett's 1998 book Carpe Jugulum.
- Title of a story by Argentinian writer Abelardo Castillo in the volume "Las maquinarias de la noche" (1992).
- Robert Frost wrote a poem entitled "Carpe Diem" considering but ultimately rejecting the idea.
- The title of the Dean Koontz novel Seize the Night is derived from the phrase.
- In the book "Herman Herraidersonns Big Adventure" the main characters sidekick "Action Jackson" uses Carpe Diem as his catchphrase. The word appears a total of 12 times throughout the 30 page book for children.
[edit] In movies
- "Carpe diem! Seize the day, boys! Make your lives extraordinary!" was used in the hit movie Dead Poets Society, a film that explores the idea of carpe diem from the viewpoint of a classroom of young men at an all-boys boarding school. Starring Robin Williams - Released in 1989 [USA]
- The phrase also appears, albeit less prominently, in a number of other movies, such as Clueless, Torque, Waiting..., Newsies, and Out Cold.
- In the 2003 Oscar winning short film Harvie Krumpet, Harvie, struggling against a series of unfortunate events, feels compelled to change his life after encountering the words beneath a statue of Horace.
- In the movie Roxanne, Steve Martin elaborates on the phrase.
- One of the gang members from the movie Death Sentence has a tattoo on his neck that says Carpe Diem.
[edit] In music
- A number of songs are titled "Carpe Diem", including songs by Mostly Autumn, Alex Sandford, The Fugs, Metallica, Dream Theater, Ayreon, Nebula, Aesop Rock, Authority Zero, The Speaks, Bigod 20, Nena, Will Haven, YeLLOW Generation, The Nerve Agents, Elena Paparizou, MC Solaar, Martyr (Canada), Jehst, Jin Au-Yeung, Aldebert (France), Andy Timmons and Rodrigo Leão. Other songs include the phrase in their titles, such as Metallica's "Carpe Diem Baby". The phrase is also the title of some albums, such as one by Lara Fabian and also Baltimore/NY emcee Profound.
- Likewise, a number of songs are titled "Seize the Day", including songs by Demons & Wizards, Avenged Sevenfold, and Carolyn Arends, or include the phrase in their lyrics. Indeed, many songs include both "carpe diem" and "seize the day" in their lyrics, such as "Anthem" by Zebrahead.
- Part III of A Change of Seasons from the album of the same name by the progressive rock band Dream Theater is entitled Carpe Diem.
[edit] Others
- A variation of the phrase, carpe viam ("seize the road"), is the motto of the online running club Dead Runners Society.
- In The Simpsons episode "Homer the Vigilante" Jimbo Jones is seen spray painting carpe diem on the wall
- A Charmed episode named "Carpe Demon" introduces a demon that has little time to live, and, in essence, is not worried about the future.
- In The Critic episode "Sherman, Women and Child" Jeremy tells Jay "carpe canem" which means "seize the dog"
- On the World Wrestling Entertainment Pay-Per-View SummerSlam 2007, professional wrestler Triple H had the phrase displayed on the screen above his TitanTron video.
- In Dawson's Creek, Andie and Jack's father owns a boat called Carpe Diem.
- There is a Flying Spaghetti Monster spoof of the phrase: "carbo diem", possibly related to carbohydrate.[4]
- In the Garth Ennis series The Boys (comic book), Hughie exclaims "Carpe Bloody Diem, Boy" after getting up the nerves to ask Starlight out on a date.
- Baltimore/NY emcee Profounds Carpe diem.[5]
- Tattooed to TJ Jensen, of St. Charles. On his Right Shoulder Blade, depicting how he lives his life, in the moment.
- The phrase was used at the very end of the 2008 commencement address of Francis J. Balducci, who served as the 37th President of the Student Council at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.
- In Nintendo's Animal Crossing, when a Crucian Carp is Fished out of the water It reads "Carpe diem!"
- The most famous Greek Graffiti magazine is called 'Carpe Diem'
- On the television show South of Nowhere the character Aiden in response to buying a new motorcycle replies "carpe diem right?" which is followed by a paraphrase of the saying as he leaves school "carpe later".
- Australian cricketer Michael Clarke has Carpe Diem tattoed on his left forearm.
- Carpe Diem is the official motto of Montclair State University.
[edit] References
- ^ see Chambers Murray or Lewis Short, Latin-English Dictionary, carpo carpere, carpsi, carptum.[1], cf. καρπός
- ^ De rosis nascentibus, in a collection of the works of Virgil under the note Hoc carmen scripsit poeta ignotus ("This poem was written by an unknown poet").
- ^ To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
- ^ Flyer image on FSM website
- ^ Carpe diem
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