Horace, a Roman poet, used the phrase “carpe diem,” which means “pluck the day” or “seize the day,” to convey the idea that one should savor life while one still has it. Horace included the maxim “carpe diem quam minimal credulapostero” in his Odes (I.11), which were released in 23 BCE. “Pluck the day, trust as little as possible in the next one” is how it is translated. Carpe diem, more often known as “seize the day,” has come to stand for Horace’s advice.
Translation
Horace used the second-person singular present active imperative care, which means “enjoy, grasp, employ, make use of,” to signify “pick or pluck.” The accusative form of the word “day” is diem. Carpe diem can be translated more literally as “pluck the day [while it is ripe]” or “enjoy the moment. Many authors have suggested that this interpretation is more accurate to Horace’s original intent.
The Ancient origin of the phrase “Carpe Diem”
Carpe, which means to pluck, harvest, or reap, comes from the Latin verb care” career, then is Latin for “pluck the day.” Like other Roman poets, Horace extensively used agricultural terms and vocabulary. Romans even developed a large body of pastoral poetry, a genre. That is not the most engaging of literature but is frequently excruciatingly dull.
Many words in our contemporary lexicon have agrarian Latin roots. Consider the Latin root color, which means to grow or cultivate, or the Spanish term culture, which means cultivation, for our word culture.
The Origin of Carpe Diem
Horace, a Roman poet, popularized this Latin expression. This translates as “pluck the day,” conveying that we should appreciate life while it lasts. So, Carpe diem alone has come to be used as shorthand for this entire philosophy. Which is more commonly known as “seize the day.” His complete admonition, “carpe diem quam minimum credulapostero,” can be translated as “pluck the day, trusting as little as possible in the following one.”
The term was popularized in the late 20th century by the 1989 film Dead Poets Society. However, it has been used in various literary works, most notably in 16th and 17th-century English poetry. So, The first line of Robert Herrick’s 1648 poem, “To the Virgins, to Make Large portion. Time is one of the most well-known examples (and one that is extensively featured in Dead Poets Society).
Current References
The current English phrase “YOLO,” which means “you only live once,” conveys a similar idea.
Robin Williams’s character, John Keating, is an English teacher. Famously utters the following line in the 1989 American film Dead Poets Society: “Save the day. Boys, seize the day. Make the most of your lives.” Later, the American Film Institute selected this phrase as the 95th most fantastic movie quotation.
The club “Carpe Diem” is owned by Shin Yool and serves as the setting for Joseon. So, Youth Liberation Alliance’s revolutionary activities. Which is WhichywasoHwi-young in the 2017 Korean drama series Chicago Typewriter. Roman Krznaric, a social philosopher, argued in his 2017 book. Carpe Diem Explained that carpe diem is the solution to consumer cultures’ schedules, timed workdays, and trying to plan our actions. So, instead of telling us to “just do it, ” the course of a few weeks and weekends,” with thought experiments for seizing the moment rather than scheduling it into calendars.
