Do you live for today, or worry about tomorrow? If you live for today you follow the ideals of Carpe Diem, which is defined as seize the day. Many people and lifestyles follow these ideals and, they do not worry about tomorrow.
In The Passionate Shepherd, Marlowe shows seizing the day by thinking of everything beautifully. To him nothing seems bad or negative. The shepherd wants to live his life to fullest with his love forever. He sees life as perfect, and wants to give his love every luxury that she could want.
“Come live with me, and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods or steepy mountains yields.” (Marlowe, p. 233)

He wants to live with her in the woods, and enjoy all that nature offers. “A belt of straw and ivy buds, with coral clasps and amber studs.” (Marlowe, p. 233) He is telling his love that she will have every material possession that she could ever dream of, if she comes with him.
“The shepherd swains shall dance and sing,
For thy delight each May morning.
If these delights thy mind may move,
Than live with me, and be my love.” (Marlowe, p. 233)

He leaves his love to decide what she will do, and waits for her to come and join him, living in the woods.
The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd is the opposite of Carpe Diem, because the Nymph tells that things are not always beautiful. She brings it to attention that winter will come, things will die, and the shepherd’s perfect plan doesn’t always stand true.
“If all the world and love were young,
And truth in every shepherd’s tongue,
These pretty pleasures might me move
To live with thee and by thy love.” (Raleigh, p. 235)

She tells the shepherd, if everything were beautiful, and I knew that you weren’t lying to me, and I could really expect all the pleasures in the world, I would come live with you and be your love. The Nymph knows that the shepherd cannot offer everything that he says he can.
“The flowers do fade, and wanton fields
To wayward winter reckoning yields;
A honey tongue, a heart of gall
Is fancy’s spring, but sorrows fall.” (Raleigh, p. 235)

She tells the shepherd that winter will come, and not everything will be beautiful, with the dying of the flowers and trees, so does love. She also tells him that he speaks well and convincing, but he has a deceiving heart. She talks about his relationship just being a fling, its good when it’s nice and worry-free, but as soon as a problem enters, he will leave.
“But could youth last and love still breed,
Had no joys no date, nor age nor need,
Then these delights my mind might move
To live with thee and by thy love.” (Raleigh, p. 235)

If youth, love, and joy could last forever, than I may live with you and be your love.
In To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time, Herrick shows Carpe Diem by telling the young women to make as much out of today as you can, while your still young. He tells them to do everything they can now, during the best time of their life, because when you are old, you may not have the opportunity.
“The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he’s a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he’s to setting.” (Herrick, p. 239)

Herrick compares life to day and night, and the older you get the closer you are to dying, so you have to live while you can.
To His Coy Mistress, is a poem that emphasizes Carpe Diem. Marvell is telling his love that she should not preserve her virginity because there is no better time than now for them to partake in love. He tells her that she deserves everything that he has don’t for her, and that he could never love any less than he does.
I feel that I live with the same ideals as Carpe Diem. I do things for today, and let tomorrow worry about itself. I know that if tomorrow doesn’t come I will not regret what I’ve done or haven’t today. It is a life style that helps you to be peaceful, and live with a sense of reality. If I always worried about what was going to happen tomorrow, I would live miserably thinking about every bad thing that could happen in life. Instead, I think about all the joys that will happen today.
All of these poems embody Carpe Diem in their own way. They are similar in ways, but also very different. Even though, they are about different subjects, they all live for today, and let tomorrow worry about itself.

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