Much of the poetry of the 17th century was heavily romantic, focusing on damsels and decadent parties where the Roman wine God Bacchaus ruled supreme. Amongst the movements' teachings was the idea of "Carpe Diem" - the Latin phrase for "seize the day". Herrick, fascinated by this ancient philosophy, centred many of his poems on the theme, cautioning people to use their time wisely.
Robert Herrick was one of the "Tribe of Ben", a group of poets who followed and were inspired by the works of the dramatist Ben Jonson. The Cavalier Poets were seen as followers of Ben Jonson because, in th…