Time and Opportunities
Decision making may become controversial if advice is sought from different sources. Some people believe that taking time before making a decision is essential in the avoidance of rush decisions. The controversy arises in deciding the time frame that does not keep an individual at risk of losing on opportunities while waiting. One of the choices that pose a debate is the decision to get married. While marrying at a young age is viewed as a wrong decision, late marriage is associated with failures as well. Some individuals also believe that marriage should be done at an age when the couple can enjoy. Most individuals miss the opportunity to marry early after deciding to remain patient, only to end up marrying late. Robert Herrick holds a position that ladies should be married while their bodies are still young in “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time.” Excessive waiting may lead individuals to miss on opportunities while waiting for the right time, and patience should be mistaken for lateness.
Marriage is enjoyable when both love and flesh are still young. If marriage is not done on time, the later years are lonely and loveless. Individuals should consider deciding to get married before they lose the desire to feel loved. One of the factors that an individual should consider is virginity. According to Robert Herrick, celibacy is a gift that should be enjoyed while it is still desirable. The advancement in age lowers the desire for the present, and individuals should not make such mistakes. In “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time,” Herrick encourages the virgin ladies to find men since their youth will not remain forever. Child is compared with a pass of time that eventually succumbs to old age: “Old Time is still a-flying… And this same flower that smiles today, tomorrow will be dying” Herrick (II-4). Therefore, time management is associated with a sense of duty and urgency to complete a particular task while the time is right.
Patience only pays when the time frame is accurately known. The full potential of some opportunities is enjoyed if the time frame is wisely chosen. Besides, the early recognition of a chance does away with the risk of having competition: “Gather [your] rosebuds while [you] may” Herrick (II-2). Moreover, time poses the stiffest competition if an individual is not careful. On the issue of marriage, lateness is associated with fading of beauty. Finding a lover after beauty has faded may become a challenge, and ladies are the most affected victim. Herrick warns the ladies that finding happiness in marriage depends on the time that an individual gets married. Herrick compares ladies’ beauty to rosebuds, which are beautiful but delicate. The rosebuds are always racing against time to blossom as long as possible. The rosebuds are used deliberately to show how fast the flowers smile for one day but die in the following day. Therefore, ladies should get into marriage while they still have their youthfulness in them.
The importance of taking an opportunity when it appears is based on the belief that tomorrow holds an uncertainty. Robert Herrick presents his poem in a way to explain the passing of time and change of opportunities. Generally, an opportunity that exists at one point may not exist at the next moment. The passing of time is associated with the fading of beauty and the loss of opportunities. Generally, Herrick uses the first stanza of “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” to relate the beauty of a lady to a rosebud. Herrick argues that virginity is an opportunity that loses value when time passes. Also, Herrick brings to light the claim that the sun does not make a stop during the day. Generally, everything races against time, and opportunities should be exploited at their highest value.
One of the mistakes that people make is thinking that opportunities last forever. Ladies always make the mistake of thinking that they have all the time to remain youthful. However, time disapproves everyone and sets the reality: “times still succeed the former [belief]” Herrick (385). The race against time catches up with most people because of lack of experience. Also, the past journey time is one-way, and the individual does not go back to correct past mistakes. Besides, the journey through time is symbolized by the sun’s movement throughout the day. The sun does not go back to fix a bad day. Generally, time needs management and opportunities should be taken when they appear.
In sum, excessive waiting may lead individuals to miss on opportunities while waiting for the right time, and patience should be mistaken for lateness. Time management is associated with a sense of duty and urgency to complete a certain task while the time is right. Generally, everything races against time, and opportunities should be exploited at their highest value. Finally, time needs management and opportunities should be taken when they appear.
Work cited
Herrick, Robert. “To the virgins, to make much of time.” Arthur QuillerCouch, ed (1919).