Carpe Diem

Carpe Diem which means “enjoy, seize, use, and make use of” is a term taken from ode I. XI of Horace and has become a very common motif in literature ever since. Many poets throughout history have used this motif. But what are the main tenets of the motif in Horace’s odes? This article tries to show the main tenets of Carpe Diem according to Horace. These tenets are: tomorrow, living in the present and drinking wine; we try to apply the discussed elements on two sonnets of the greatest sonneteers of all times in two different countries. That of England’s William Shakespeare’s sonnet 73 and that of Persia’s Hafiz’s sonnet 473; we strive to see to what extent time has affected the concept of Carpe Diem in the poems; and to what extent the sonnets of Shakespeare and Hafiz followed the pattern of Horace’s Carpe Diem.

"El tópico del "carpe diem" ha sido entendido tradicionalmente como una consecuencia del devenir literario de la Grecia arcaica. En específico, se ha sostenido que la focalización en las experiencias personales y la intimidad humana propia de la lírica de este periodo, permitió el desarrollo de una nueva sensibilidad opuesta a los principios de la épica. En dicho proceso de contraposición, habría tenido lugar el desenvolvimiento del llamado incontinente a deleitarse en los placeres de la vida. En contra de esta posición, este trabajo propone que el tópico del "carpe diem" no constituye un verdadero discurso contestatario de los ideales heroicos propios de la épica. Al contrario, sugiere que, en líneas generales, es una consecuencia de su mismo marco ideológico. A través del examen de algunos fragmentos líricos, se argumenta que la propuesta del "carpe diem" no es ningún acto de transgresión, pues no cuestiona las representaciones sobre la condición humana, solo le brinda al individuo una especie de liberación subliminal a la angustia causada por estas ideas. Desde este punto de vista, el tópico del "carpe diem" forma parte del sistema creencias que se tenían con respecto a la condición humana en la época arcaica. De hecho, es justamente la aceptación tácita de las ideas sobre la triste situación de los seres humanos, el principal justificante aludido para exhortar a la aceptación de una perspectiva hedonista de la existencia. De esta forma, la posición que defiende al deleite como forma de sobrellevar la penosa existencia no posee ningún carácter trasgresor, es, más bien, un ideal inscrito dentro del proceso de control social de las acciones humanas.

THE ORIGIN OF “CARPE DIEM”: SOME THOUGHTS FROM THE ANCIENT GREEK LYRIC

The topic of “carpe diem” has traditionally been understood as a result of the literary evolution of ancient Greece. Specifically, it has been argued that focusing on personal experiences and human intimacy, characteristic of the lyric of this period, allowed the development of a new sensibility that is opposed to the principles of the epic. In this process of opposition, the development of the unrestrained call to delight in the pleasures of life has taken place. Against this position, this paper suggests that the topic of “carpe diem” is not a real discourse opposing to the heroic ideals of the epic. On the contrary, it suggests that overall this topic is a consequence of the same ideological framework of epic. Through the examination of some lyrical fragments, it is argued that the suggestion of “carpe diem” is not a transgressive act because it does not call into question the representations of the human condition, only gives the individual a kind of subliminal release of anguish caused by these ideas. From this point of view, the topic of “carpe diem” is part of the beliefs about the human condition in the Archaic Age. In fact, it is just a tacit acceptance of ideas about the sad situation of humanity, the main justification referred to urge people to accept a hedonistic perspective of existence. Thus, the position that defends the pleasure as a way to cope with the painful existence is not transgressive. Rather, it is an ideal inscribed in the process of social control of human actions."

Andrew Marvell's poem "To His Coy Mistress" follows an attempt of persuasion by the narrator, yet the woman is slow in responding the speakers’ sexual approach. Throughout the poem Marvell makes various references to past and future events in order to emphasize the position of the short life span of an individual compared to the broad ages that pass.  The poem serves to remind the addressee of the reality of death, whereby the narrator tries to live the moment and persuade the coy lady to subdue. The main aim of the paper is to approach Marvell's poem as a sublimation of death and to point out the similarities between death and Freud's Oedipal Complex.

This article focuses on the asàrotos òikos theme in roman mosaics, and aims at exploring the social significance these depictions have held during the late Imperial Period, and their relation to the proceedings of the banquet. This study suggests that "disguised symbolism" and erudite references rest behind the representation of these seemingly daily objects, which could only have be fully understood by members of the Roman cultural elite, who possessed the proper education for the task. The mosaic served as a starting point for the elitist practice of an erudite discourse, and as a reminder of the brevity of life.

A comunicação aponta como linha de leitura da poesia de Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen uma reflexão em torno da presença de ecos da lírica horaciana e da doutrina epicurista, seja como ponto declarado de divergência, de encontro e acordo, ou mesmo em intertextualidade com autores que trabalharam idéias e valores daquela doutrina, principalmente Pessoa – Reis. Investiga-se sobretudo o funcionamento do conceito de felicidade e da vivência do carpe diem dentro da poética andreseniana, que se entende e quer, reconhecidamente, como ensinamento de uma maneira de estar sobre a terra.

The asàrotos òikos or "unswept floor" is a decorative theme found in Roman mosaics. The theme depicts scraps of food along other items, as if scattered across the room's floor. According to Pliny the theme was first created by Sosus in Pergamon. The mosaic Pliny is referring to was never discovered; however, later Roman variations on this theme were discovered in both Italy and Tunisia. This article seeks to examine the changes made to the asàrotos òikos motif when it transitions from centre to periphery and from the first to the sixth century CE. This article explores the functions and meanings the theme has held in Roman thought during the first and second century CE, the change in perception and use of the theme during the third century in the provincial Roman towns of North Africa, the influence of the theme on Early Christian art-both in style and iconography, and the new meanings possibly assigned to the theme upon its later use in a Byzantine basilica.

The gargoyle of Platja de Canyelles Petites (lat., gurgulio, gulia alluding to water gurgling) is a prehistoric dragon responsible for the waters flow of the bay that promotes a greater appreciation of our natural habitat. Découverte par Pierre-François Puech et Bernard Puech à la tombée du jour, son aspect terrifiant protège la plage.

Resumo: Desde a década de 1980, os museus tornaram-se um grande tema da arquitectura e lugares de metaforização de desejos e reivindicações das cidades. O presente artigo pretende abordar esta questão através de quatro casos na cidade de Lisboa, organizados em dois dípticos. No primeiro, trata-se de " museus-memória " , celebradores da História e marcadores dos lugares de implantação; assim acontece com o Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea – Museu do Chiado, fundado em 1911 e renovado em 1994, e com a Fundação Arpad Szènes-Vieira da Silva, museu monográfico que homenageia Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, a mais internacional pintora portuguesa. Se nos anos 80 e 90 a arquitectura de museus foi marcada por projectos com um sentido completo e durável, no início dos anos 2000, acompanhando uma tendência internacional, surgem em Lisboa espaços orientados para o processo criativo, a informalidade e a polivalência. O segundo díptico apresenta dois projectos paradigmáticos deste novo conceito de museu como " obra aberta " : o Museu do Design e da Moda (MUDE), situado na Baixa Pombalina, e o Carpe Diem Arte e Pesquisa, no Bairro Alto. Ao confrontar estas duas perspectivas, procura-se discutir o papel dos museus como instrumento privilegiado de regeneração urbana em cidades históricas, considerando que essa acção não se esgota numa única intervenção arquitectónica, mas constituiu, cada vez mais, um processo em permanente construção e actualização.

Montaigne, no 'Filosofar é aprender a morrer' (Ensaios I, XX), nos remete ao Eclesiastes, em nota de questionável relevância, mas que revela uma característica marcante, comum entre os textos: a argumentação do pró-ao-contra na busca de respostas. Podemos nos preparar para a morte? Diante dela, existe algum ganho em nosso trabalho debaixo do sol? Os textos oscilam entre a afi rmação e a negação, dando razão alternadamente a posições contrárias: nada nos prepara para a morte, mas tudo é preparação para ela, já que efetivamente estamos a morrer. Nada ganhamos debaixo do sol, mas ganhamos em alegria ou afl ição de espírito todos os dias. Caminhamos para a morte, mas as razões dos textos nos convidam a colher no dia o sentido de viver bem.

As a communicator, the writer must abstain from a sort of euphoric writing that lays emphasis on the obscene, without derision, and this, at the expense of the spiritual life. Man is made of spirit and flesh, obviously. One cannot satisfy the body while ‘killing’ the spirit, nor the spirit at the expense of the body. Happiness derives from the perfect balance between the physique and the spirit, and far from being a bet, it is the duty of humans to work to attain this equilibrium, both from Christian and Islamic perspectives. This article examines not only the semantic implications of the titles of Kourouma’s and Beyala’s Allah n’est pas obligé and Seul le diable le savait, but also how the ‘neglect’ of God (that starts with the titles), ‘flown at half-mast’, automatically leads man to ‘shirk’ and carpe diem, without morality and without hope.

Keywords: Body, spirit, semantic implications, shirk, carpe diem

Resumen: Este artículo se centra en el tema de los asarotos oikos en los mosaicos romanos, y tiene como objetivo explorar la importancia social que estas representaciones han tenido a finales del Imperio y su relación con los procedimientos del banquete. Este estudio sugiere que el simbolismo disfrazado y las referencias eruditas descansan detrás de la representación de estos objetos aparentemente diarios, que solo podrían ser completamente comprendidos por los miembros de la élite cultural romana, que poseían la educación adecuada para la tarea. El mosaico sirvió como punto de partida para la práctica elitista de un discurso erudito y como un recordatorio de la brevedad de la vida.


Abstract: This article focuses on the asarotos oikos theme in roman mosaics, and aims at exploring the social significance these depictions have held during the late Imperial age, and their relation to the proceedings of the banquet. This study suggests that disguised symbolism and erudite references rest behind the representation of these seemingly daily objects, which could only be fully understood by members of the Roman cultural elite, who possessed the proper education for the task. The mosaic served as a starting point for the elitist practice of an erudite discourse and as a reminder of the brevity of life.

Ponencia presentada en el congreso “Second Biennal Conference on Iberian/Iberian-American Literatures”, Florida International University, Miami, 28 al 30 de octubre de1999.

Estudiamos la presencia del tópico del carpe diem en la comedia Thebaida en relación con su predecesora y modelo: La Celestina. Constatamos en nuestro estudio que la caracterización sensual de los personajes de la comedia Thebaida supera con creces a sus homólogos en La Celestina. El afán del anónimo autor de la comedia Thebaida por multiplicar y detallar los encuentros amorosos, y por explicitar manifestaciones verbales y no verbales, abiertamente libidinosas, que exceden con mucho a las contenidas en La Celestina, nos lleva a proponer la voluntad, por parte del autor de la Thebaida, de presentar una visión grotesca –articulada mediante un tratamiento hiperbólico de varios de los elementos que configuran la ideología del carpe diem– que tiene por objeto la reprobación de esta ideología mediante el comportamiento de unos personajes que se condenan mediante su propia conducta. La elaboración de esta visión grotesca de la ideología del carpe diem permite al autor de la comedia Thebaida prescindir del final trágico, o castigo ejemplar, al que recurre Fernando de Rojas en la Tragicomedia.

Hard to believe but there was a time before all this, a time when, from our current perspective of lockdown reality, a lot seemed all the more promising and bright. Absence indeed makes the heart grow fonder and it appears that absence, too, of normality as we knew it has produced memories of a “before” that is partly imagined, touched up, better than the actual event at the time it happened.