First uttered by the poet Horace, the maxim Carpe diem invites us to "seize the day" without worrying about tomorrow. From the Renaissance to the 19th century, it inspired numerous writers. From Ronsard to Du Bellay, the poets of the Pléiade found in it an exhortation to enjoy life, while the Romantics, such as Lamartine and Baudelaire, already saw in it a regret for the passing moment. Each, in their own way, attempted to inscribe the fleeting pleasures of life into the eternity of their art.
