To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time (Gather ye rosebuds)

(3) Base Camp

"To the Virgins" isn't really a difficult poem, aside from a few strange vocabulary choices like "a-flying," "a-getting," and maybe "tarry" in the last stanza. In fact, unlike the poetry of a number of his contemporaries – especially John Milton and John Donne – Herrick's is relatively accessible, while still containing interesting and profound ideas. "To the Virgins," and a number of other Herrick poems, have a song-like quality to them which makes them easy to remember.