Carpe diem
Carpe diem is a Latin aphorism, usually translated "seize the day", taken from book 1 of the Roman poet Horace's work Odes (23 BC).[1]
Translation
Carpe is the
History
Sources
Tu ne quaesieris, scire nefas, quem mihi, quem tibi |
Ask not ('tis forbidden knowledge), what our destined term of years, Jove has many winters yet to give, or this our last;This, that makes the Tyrrhene billows spend their strength against the shore. Strain your wine and prove your wisdom; life is short; should hope be more? In the moment of our talking, envious time has ebb'd away. Seize the present; trust tomorrow e'en as little as you may.[5] |
In ancient literature
Perhaps the first written expression of the concept is the advice given by
Meaning
In
Related expressions
Other Latin
Collige, virgo, rosas ("gather, girl, the roses") appears at the end of the poem "De rosis nascentibus"[9] ("Of growing roses", also called Idyllium de rosis) attributed to Ausonius or Virgil. It encourages youth to enjoy life before it is too late; compare "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may" from Robert Herrick's 1648 poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time".
"De Brevitate Vitae" ("On the Shortness of Life"), often referred to as "
Related but distinct is the expression memento mori (remember that you are mortal) which carries some of the same connotation as carpe diem. For Horace, mindfulness of our own mortality is key in making us realize the importance of the moment. "Remember that you are mortal, so seize the day." Over time the phrase memento mori also came to be associated with penitence, as suggested in many vanitas paintings. Today many listeners will take the two phrases as representing almost opposite approaches, with carpe diem urging us to savour life and memento mori urging us to resist its allure. This is not the original sense of the memento mori phrase as used by Horace.
Contemporary mentions
In modern English, the expression "YOLO", meaning "you only live once", expresses a similar sentiment.[10][11]
In the 1989 American film Dead Poets Society, the English teacher John Keating, played by Robin Williams, famously says: "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." Later, this line was voted as the 95th greatest movie quote by the American Film Institute.[12]
In the Animal Crossing series, messages referencing this phrase can be seen when catching fish. In Animal Crossing and Animal Crossing: Wild World, catching a Crucian carp will result in the message "I caught a crucian carp! Carpe diem!"[13] In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, catching a Carp will result in the message "I caught a carp! I really seized the diem!"[14]
The Terry Pratchett comic fantasy novel Carpe Jugulum parodies the phrase in its title--instead of seize the day, it translates to "seize the throat".[15]
In 2011 the Phineas and Ferb episode "Rollercoaster", the musical ended with a song titled "Carpe diem" in which Before Phineas tells Isabella what "Carpe Diem means".
In the 2017 Korean drama series Chicago Typewriter, the club "Carpe Diem" is owned by Shin Yool and is the scene of revolutionary activities of the Joseon Youth Liberation Alliance spearheaded by Seo Hwi-young.[16]
The song "Carpe Diem" by Joker Out was used to represent Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.[19]
The acronym DiEM, used by the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025, alludes to the Latin aphorism.
In the song
See also
References
- ^ Quintus Horatius Flaccus, Carmina, Liber I, Carmen XI (in Latin)
- ^ Lewis, Charlton T. (1890). "carpō". An Elementary Latin Dictionary. New York, Cincinnati, and Chicago: American Book Company.
- ^ "How 'Carpe Diem' Got Lost in Translation" by Chi Luu, JStor Daily, 7 August 2019.
- ^ Luu, Chi (2019-08-07). "How "Carpe Diem" Got Lost in Translation". JSTOR Daily. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ Translation by John Conington, 1882
- ISBN 978-0231132602.
- ISBN 978-3525530832.
- ISBN 978-0-521-83002-7.
- Augsburg University of Applied Sciences
- ^ "Carpe Diem! How the philosophy of 'seize the day' was hijacked". iNews. 2017-04-18. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
- ^ "YOLO | Definition of YOLO in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on October 2, 2016. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
- ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes". American Film Institute. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
- ^ "Crucian carp". Nookipedia. 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
- ^ "Carp". Nookipedia. 2024-02-11. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
- ^ Carpe Jugulum.
- ^ "TV Review: Chicago Typewriter (Spoilers!)". The Kat Cafe. 13 September 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ Macdonald, Fiona. "What it really means to 'Seize the day'". bbc.com. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
- ^ "Reclaiming carpe diem: How do we really seize the day? by Roman Krznaric, The Guardian, 2 April 2017
- ^ "Slovenia: Joker Out to premiere 'Carpe Diem' on Saturday night!". eurovision.tv. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
Sources
- Rohland, R.A. (2022). Carpe Diem. Cambridge Classical Studies. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-316-51082-7.
External links
- Media related to Carpe diem at Wikimedia Commons
- The dictionary definition of carpe diem at Wiktionary
- Literary interpretation of Horace, Odes 1.11 (Carpe diem) at YouTube