Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, John William Waterhouse
The title is from the famous first verse of Robert Herrick’s poem, “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time“:
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.
On Wikipaintings. Original is in a private collection.
There is another, perhaps even better known, painting by Waterhouse with the same title.
I have always had a love for the Pre-Raphaelites and followers – great works !
Anyone passing the Port Sunlight Village in Wirral, UK, can see a fantastic collection of similar work at The Lady Leverhulme Museum.
O, la la! How a poem can inspire the artist en lignes et couleurs.
Robert Herrick. 1591–1674
To the Virgins, to make much of Time
GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.
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.
That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may, go marry:
For having lost but once your prime,
You may for ever tarry.
Merci, Charley.