Carpe diem theme
Introduction
Carpe diem refers to one of the many ways of living one life and which can change depending on their perception on this life. This concept has existed throughout time in history. From a Christian perspective, it raises the question on whether it is possible to honour God with carpe diem. From a non-Christian perspective, the concept is that one should seize each day and do as much as they want in it since their perception of time is finite and that everything that has a beginning has an end. Thus from a non-religious perspective of carpe diem, everything is done in a selfish manner, and for instant gratification based only in the fact that one exist and their existence will cease without consequences for what they have done. However, in a Christian perspective, the current existence is not the end of life, but eternity will follow and everyone will be judged according to their deeds in this life. The idea is to determine whether the concept of carpe is good or bad especially from the Christian perspective where with God in mind, life ceases to be meaningless when one does something and the joy of doing something will be realised, knowing that He has approved the actions.
Thus in this paper, I set out to argue that from the Christian perspective, viewing life in the concept of carpe diem is not a way of pleasing God and I will use the readings of Ecclesiastes , Kierkegaard and Revelation. The paper also shows that carpe diem has changed overtime and following the biblical view, it is not only about instant gratification but it should also include making something productive with this life.
The book of Ecclesiastes regards everything as meaningless, utterly meaningless according to the teacher (Eccles. 1.2). This is shown from the beginning of the book and it changes as the readings continues. From the Christian perspective, if one live life as if there were no tomorrow, then everything would be meaningless, and this is what carpe is all about? This though is that whatever one does in the world will cease to exist at some point and then one will be answerable for all their deeds. Furthermore, Kierkegaard states in his book that man would be nothing without God and would life in this life for certain period and that would be the end of it, a concept of carpe diem. The book of Revelation points out that those who live with God in mind will have eternity and those who live a carefree life of sin and pleasure will face the consequences.
History
The concept of carpe diem has been changing overtime according the perception of various people on the idea of how to live life today. Horace in his poem ‘Odes’ tries to persuade the reader on how to enjoy life by taking advantage of all the things that are offered by this life, and enjoy themselves while they can because there is no certainty of seeing tomorrow. He takes reader back to see the days the Gods were hash, cruel and spiteful and their future was not bright. In order to make the point clear to the reader, he points out that it is better to enjoy this life as much as one can since there is no guarantee for the future. In Tyrrhenian, Horace tells the reader to be wise, strain their wines and since life is short, to cut short on their long term hopes (Horace, 11.6-11.7). This to mean that one should enjoy much of whatever makes them happy since life is short. The concept of carpe diem is seen when Horace tells the reader to seize this day as little as possible while trusting the future. In short, there is no certainty for tomorrow and thus do the most you can for today.
The evolution of the concept further continues as can be seen Robert Herrick’s “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time”. He tries to persuade the reader to do as much as they can with their life. To be more specific than Horace, Robert Herrick persuades the women to get married before their prime time is past. To show the urgency, he uses the image of a flower that is dying, to make them come to a realisation that time passes and doesn’t wait for anyone. The flower that smiles today will be dying tomorrow (Robert, 3-4). This is an image that anyone can relate to, knowing that with passing of time is certain and it comes with deterioration of anything, including a beautiful flower. The poem was written in the 17th century at a time when e quality of life and life expectancy was unlike today. Then, women would marry much younger which brings up the carpe diem concept, where one should take advantage of time while they have it because failure to do so will have them regretting later in life. The concept of carpe diem has by now evolved from general perspectives or views to specific view about living for the present moment and thus taking care of future expectations.
The take on carpe diem concept further changes in terms of how people perceives the purpose of living for today and anticipation for tomorrow. This is evident in the work of Henry W. Longfellow ‘A Psalm of Life’. He paints a contrast between the idea of just living a meaningless life that has no direction and one that is lived purposely. He tries to persuade the reader by letting them that life is not only going to pass them by, and it this life is not only about enjoyment and suffering. He allude to the purpose of life being to make a difference and leaving a legacy. For instance, he tells the reader not to be like dumb cattle but to be recognised as a hero in this life’s strife (Longfellow, 19-20). The difference in these poems can now be seen , from the earlier times when they would persuade someone into a life of pleasure and excess, and later when there was a strong belief in Christianity that brought out the a sense of purpose. This change appear to show that life should not only be about pleasure but should be lived purposely. In the poem, Henry tells the reader not to trust the future regardless of how pleasant, and to leave the past bury its own dead, to live for today while letting God to be overhead of the heart within (Longfellow , 21- 24). This show a separation from the previous poets who advocated for pleasure in the present day, but Henry sees no reason for trusting the immediate future with its pleasures but to do everything with God in mind. His view of seizing the day is act while having God present in the heart and the mind.
These poems have clearly presented the developments that have served to change the concept of carpe diem. While in the earlier times the focus was on the present and enjoying the currents moments with no regards for the future, the change has served to show that there is more to life than life for the present. While it is not possible to change the future outcomes, carpe diem should be about living responsibly to day having in mind that any actions undertaken by anyone have repercussions and God is at the centre of the present day and the future.
ANALYSIS
The idea of carpe diem for acting today and ignoring the future can be analysed literally by use of Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘Winter Dreams’ literary fiction. It is about a man who is unable to live in the moment and is enslaved by his desires that make him look to the future. The main character, Dexter, is a middle class individual who has aspirations of joining the elite group that surrounds him. He comes across a wealthy young lady, Judy, to whom he immediately becomes infatuated with. The problem arises when Dexter achieves his desire but does not get fulfilment out of it. In creating this story, Fitzgerald aimed at persuading the leader to realize the how desiring something directly relates to the inability to enjoy the present. The narrator of the story has an inside knowledge of Dexter and since he is in third person he is reliable. This is seen where the narrator tell of Dexter wondering whether Judy new of Irene Scheener, and how he sat quietly afraid that any movement by Judy would make him unable to resist her. The narrator does not tell us about Judy’s or Irene’s emotions or thoughts respectively, and makes them appear irrelevant in the plot.
Fitzgerald uses a simile to mark the different economic status that Dexter is, and his desired status. He tells of how some caddies were as poor as sin and lived in one room house with a cow that is neurasthenic in the front yard with her father owning a grocery store that is second best in Black Bear. His uses this to show the current economic condition of Dexter. To show the reader where Dexter aspires to be, the writer contracts the locations, Black Bear where Dexter comes from and Sherry Island, where the Elites can be found. He uses a similar technique to show that Dexter has fulfilled his desire by changing the setting from Minnesota to New York. This is seen when Devlin wondered with curiously that Dexter is actually from Middle West but not Wall Street where such men would be born and raised. This showed that Dexter had become successful and moved from Mid-West to New York and attained a place that is normally reserved for people who are born into wealth. Thus by moving from an average family to an elite class, Dexter achieved what he always desired. Fitzgerald presentation of how Dexter’s feelings are tied with seasons serves to show that his desires and how he is unable to enjoy the present. He alludes to the grey and crisps days, when after the shutting down of long Minnesota winter, the country made him to feel profoundly melancholy and how he was offended by the winter periods and the golf course. What actually bothered Dexter is the realisation that he could not relate to the elite in the winter season, because nobody was actually there merely because of that season like him? He had to remember and wait for the summer season. This shows his constant thinking about the past and the future and never getting to enjoy the present moments.
The writer uses oxymoron and contradictions as literary techniques to show how one can have a desire for something and not get fulfilment after obtaining it. The writer use ‘beautifully ugly’ term to describe an eleven year old girl who will become inexpressibly lovely ensuring that misery to many men will not come to an end. This term is contradictory and paints picture of Judy that will have readers immediately thinking of her as interesting. The writer also paints contracting pictures of Judy and Irene to emphasize the desire Dexter had for Judy. While Judy had brought Dexter great agony of spirit and ecstatic happiness , Dexter knew that Irene was more than his desires and she would make a better wife than Judy , but having her would mean letting go ‘fire and loveliness’. This show how much of desire Dexter had for Judy. Finally , Dexter is very devastated since he has realised that even after having Judy , there is no way he would feel the fulfilment, and that everything fades as time passes by. This is seen in the conversation in his conversation with Devlin. They point out that many woman fades just like Judy, who was pretty when she first came to Detroit. At that point, Dexter realises the importance of living for today, enjoying and seizing the present moment. Just as Judy’s beauty faded away, everything in life is bound to fade away.
Fitzgerald clearly brings up the theme of carpe diem by his effort to persuade the reader that sometimes even after obtaining the things one so much desire, they may not reach satisfaction if do not seize the moment. Dexter realised that he spent a lot of time desiring and failed to enjoy the present, and he could not get back that time. Thus getting what one desire may make them feel complete but at times they can get it and still fell incomplete. Of more importance is to seize and enjoy the present moment.
EVALUATION
This concept of carpe diem can be found in many aspects of our present cultural life such as the entertainment industry like pop music and academic activities like graduation speeches. For instance, Steve Job can be noted to be persuading Stanford University graduates to live to put a lot of emphasis on what they do for today. He points out how he would wake up and meditate on whether, whatever he was doing for a day, would be the last thing he would want to do in his last day. He appears to have embraced the idea of seizing the day and life to the fullest since one has only one life. After speaking to the graduates, they feel motivated to take on the world after graduation like Steve Job did. They seem to have appreciated and embraced the concept of carpe diem. Another instance is a speech by David Foster Wallace, who brings out the importance of education and of controlling one’s mind to actually be aware of the happens around. He is persuading the graduates about how important education and awareness of surrounding is, and why not to look at matters only from a certain perspective because they may miss out a good life. This rhetoric can also be seen in pop music culture. In Pitbull’s song , his perspective of life that represent carpe diem involves partying ,drinking and having sex to the fullest since no knows how tomorrow will be. He is mostly persuading young people around the world to buy his song in order to seize the day by leading a cool life.
Moreover, Kierkegaard in his book points out that, God is Eternal, and thus the only way for one to be close to eternity is to make God relevant in one’s mind and actions. He points out that due to His presence nothing is nearer to God than another. Living a life as if there is nothing after death is the idea of carpe diem from non-Christian perspective , that focuses on present and instant gratification, but Kierkegaard view is to separate an individual from eternity. He further concludes that the only constructive view is the Eternal, since the wisdom of years will confuse someone and the only edifying thing is wisdom.
This leads to the question of whether the views of a particular individual on how to approach the carpe diem concept represent the true idea. As such applying this concept in the non-Christian perspective may seems essay because one has no regard for the future and the consequences for the current deeds. Form the Christian perspective, however, living a life as if there is no tomorrow is not the correct way of living, but rather doing everything today with a mind focused in eternity. The above scenarios may represent cultures that advocate for a life that focuses on seizing the current life and not anticipating the future. Such a perspective would not apply in a Christian perspective whose goals to please God. It would a meaningless to pursue pleasure and fulfilment today without a regard for a possible future. Biblically, carpe diem would not apply and instead of seizing the day to indulge in pleasure it would be more important to have a knowledge of what is meaningful or meaningless. What is meaningful is done with the knowledge that there is a God who will judge ones actions. After has been said the conclusion of the matter is to fear God and keeping His commandments a duty for all mankind , because He will bring all deeds into judgement whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12.13-14)
The book of revelation points out there is a life without an end. It points to a new heaven and a new earth after the current life (Rev.21.1) Carpe diem thus changes in a Christian perspective because there is a tomorrow. If there is a tomorrow, one should conduct themselves by preparing for tomorrow since this world is not the end, and by seize eternity rather than a single day. The reason for this is that failure to act responsibly today by not embracing a full pleasure seeking approach will lead to eternal condemnation but for those who seek eternity there is a reward. Those who will come out as victorious will inherit the earth but the unbelieving pleasure seekers such as sexually immoral and magicians will be thrown into a lake of burning sulphur which is the second death (Rev. 21 7-8). Thus there is a future and the idea of carpe diem is not a correct way of living and makes no sense to obtain full pleasure presently only for it to cease tomorrow.
Works Cited
Herrick, Robert. “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time.”1648.
Horace.” Odes.”23 B.C.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. “A Psalm of Life.” October 1838.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. “Winter Dreams.” Scribner.Dec.1922. Print
Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI. Pub. House, 1986. Print
Kierkegaard, Soren. Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing. New York: Harper, 1948.Print
