Carpe Diem: Horace’s Understanding Of Life
Seize the day, trusting the future as little as possible.
Horace said in a verse that means “Live in the moment, enjoy the time, seize the day”
So did Horace say don’t think about tomorrow? Or are we living in the moment because we want to understand it that way? To understand this, you need to read and understand the entire verse.
“….
Tyrrhēnum: sapiās, vīna liquēs, et spatiō brevī
spem longam resecēs. Dum loquimur, fūgerit invida
aetās: carpe diem, quam minimum crēdula posterō.” (Ode 1.11)
Literal English Translation:
“be wise. Strain your wines, and because of brief life
cut short long-term hopes. While we are speaking, envious life
will have fled: seize the day, trusting the future as little as possible.”
The poet wrote these verses for his lover named Leuconoe, during the years when Rome, which had emerged from civil wars, entered the process of restructuring both politically and socially intellectually, and emphasized the importance of appreciating the moment by reminding people of the tragic phenomenon of life. When the views he formed within the framework of this basic understanding and nourished by the moral teachings of the Epicurean philosophy, which was active in Rome of his day, were combined with the half-enthusiastic, half-sad atmosphere of lyric poetry, a philosophy of life that prioritized virtue but was more realistic emerged, instead of a strictly disciplined doctrine of behavior.
For Horace, life is a short process that offers tiny and secret moments of happiness to those who know how to live. In this short period, taking advantage of opportunities in moderation, not depriving the mind of moods, and creating the freedom to benefit from every moment to the fullest is the wisdom of living.
Most people think of this idea, which is said as “carpe diem” and is expressed as “Seize the day” in English; They confuse it with “childishness”, such as acting recklessly, directing their logic as they wish, and acting according to their wishes and pleasures.
However, carpe diem, that is, living in the moment or seizing the day, is not tied to the past, whether because of one’s regret or longing; It means that one should not live dependent on the future, whether because of anxiety or excitement, but should be completely “here” and “now”.
So whether you are sad, whether you are laughing, whether you are distributing or collecting, do it here and now.
“carpe diem, quam minimum crēdula posterō” is perhaps one of the sayings that have deviated the most from its original meaning. Seize the moment, and leave as little work as possible to be done for tomorrow. In other words, it doesn’t mean have fun, it means don’t trust tomorrow and finish your work today. It is thinking about tomorrow tomorrow.
