
() is a
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
aphorism, usually translated "seize the day", taken from book 1 of the Roman poet
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC), Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). Th ...
's work ''
Odes'' (23 BC).
Translation
is the
second-person singular present
The present is the period of time that is occurring now. The present is contrasted with the past, the period of time that has already occurred; and the future, the period of time that has yet to occur.
It is sometimes represented as a hyperplan ...
active imperative of ''
carpō'' "pick or pluck" used by
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC), Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). Th ...
to mean "enjoy, seize, use, make use of". ''Diem'' is the accusative of ''
dies'' "day". A more literal translation of would thus be "pluck the day
s it is ripe—that is, enjoy the moment. It has been argued by various authors that this interpretation is closer to Horace's original meaning. Latin scholar and
Saint Joseph's University professor, Maria S. Marsilio points out, ''carpe diem'' is a
horticultural metaphor that, particularly seen in the context of the poem, is more accurately translated as "plucking the day", evoking the plucking and gathering of ripening fruits or flowers, enjoying a moment that is rooted in the sensory experience of nature.
History
Sources
Text from ''
Odes''
1.11:
In ancient literature
Perhaps the first written expression of the concept is the advice given by
Siduri to
Gilgamesh in
Mesopotamian mythology, telling him to forgo his mourning and embrace life, although some scholars see it as simply urging Gilgamesh to abandon his mourning, "reversing the liminal rituals of mourning and returning to the normal and normative behaviors of Mesopotamian society."
Meaning
In
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC), Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). Th ...
, the phrase is part of the longer , which is often translated as "Seize the day, put very little trust in tomorrow (the future)". The ode says that the future is unforeseen and that one should not leave to chance future happenings, but rather one should do all one can today to make one's own future better. This phrase is usually understood against Horace's
Epicurean background.
Related expressions

("gather, girl, the roses") appears at the end of the poem "" ("Of growing roses", also called ''Idyllium de rosis'') attributed to
Ausonius or
Virgil. It encourages youth to enjoy life before it is too late; compare "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may" from
Robert Herrick's 1648 poem "
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time".
"" ("On the Shortness of Life"), often referred to as "
Gaudeamus igitur", (Let us rejoice) is a popular academic
commercium song, on taking joy in student life, with the knowledge that one will someday die. It is
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
Latin, dating to 1287.
Related but distinct is the expression ''
memento mori'' (remember that you are mortal) which carries some of the same connotation as . For Horace, mindfulness of our own mortality is key in making us realize the importance of the moment. "Remember that you are mortal, so seize the day." Over time the phrase also came to be associated with penitence, as suggested in many paintings. Today many listeners will take the two phrases as representing almost opposite approaches, with urging us to savour life and urging us to resist its allure. This is not the original sense of the phrase as used by Horace.
Contemporary mentions
In modern English, the expression "
YOLO", meaning "you only live once", expresses a similar sentiment.
In the 1989 American film ''
Dead Poets Society'', the English teacher John Keating, played by
Robin Williams, famously says: "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." Later, this line was voted as the
95th greatest movie quote by the
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
.
In the
Animal Crossing series, messages referencing this phrase can be seen when catching fish. In
Animal Crossing and
Animal Crossing: Wild World, catching a
Crucian carp will result in the message "I caught a crucian carp! Carpe diem!" In
Animal Crossing: New Leaf, catching a
Carp
The term carp (: carp) is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family (biology), family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized game fish, quarries and a ...
will result in the message "I caught a carp! I really seized the diem!"
The
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English author, humorist, and Satire, satirist, best known for the ''Discworld'' series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983 and 2015, and for the Apocalyp ...
comic fantasy novel ''
Carpe Jugulum'' parodies the phrase in its title—instead of seize the day, it translates to "seize the throat".
In 2011 the
Phineas and Ferb episode "Rollercoaster", the musical ended with a song titled "Carpe diem" in which Before
Phineas tells Isabella what "Carpe Diem means".
In the 2017 Korean drama series ''
Chicago Typewriter'', the club "Carpe Diem" is owned by Shin Yool and is the scene of revolutionary activities of the Joseon Youth Liberation Alliance spearheaded by Seo Hwi-young.
Social philosopher Roman Krznaric suggested in his book ''Carpe Diem Regained'' (2017) that ''carpe diem'' is the answer to consumer cultures schedules, timed work days, consumer culture and planning out our actions over the course of weeks and the weekends, instead of "just do it", with thought experiments for seizing the day rather than placing into calendars.
The song "
Carpe Diem" by
Joker Out was used to represent
Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
The acronym DiEM, used by the
Democracy in Europe Movement 2025, alludes to the Latin aphorism.
In the song
the Whole Being Dead Thing from
Beetlejuice
''Beetlejuice'' is a 1988 American Gothic film, gothic dark fantasy comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by Michael McDowell (author), Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren based on a story by McDowell and Larry Wilson (sc ...
the musical, Beetlejuice sings "We should have carpe’d way more diems / Now we’re never gonna see ‘em!".
See also
*
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade
References
Sources
*
External links
*
*
*Literary interpretation o
Horace, Odes 1.11 (Carpe diem)at YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpe Diem
Articles containing video clips
Horace
Latin mottos
Latin words and phrases
Time management