Horace's Speech Of Leuconoe

Directly addressed to a man named Leuconoe and the origins of the famous phrase “seize the day”, Horace’s speech argues the importance of living in the present moment while treating the future as nonexistent. He stresses the fact that humans cannot control time or know what the future holds. Therefore, Horace orders Leuconoe to enjoy life as if today were the last day, for he does not know if he will have tomorrow waiting for him to take action. Horace says that as mortals, people are forbidden from knowing what fate has in store for them. Instead, they must let it run its predestined course blindly. He begins by addressing Leucone with a series of orders. He warns him to not try to seek out what end the gods gave the speaker and Leucone on earth, “quem mihi, quem tibi finem di dederint” (1-2). This shows that if he were to do so, he would be gaining knowledge that only gods have the ability to know. Secondly, he must not try the Babylonian numbers, “nec Babylonios temptaris numéros” (2), which was a number system developed hundreds of years before the time of Horace. The numbers were set on a soft clay tablet and left to dry in the sun to create a permanent record. This appeal urges him to not mess with history or things that cannot be removed or changed.
This reality is brought up multiple times in the story, adding to the sense of urgency that the narrator is trying to produce. Urgency is first evoked when the narrator states that in the span of their conversation, envious time will have fled “fugerit invida aetas” (7). Therefore, the clock is ticking, time is fleeing, and every moment not lived to the fullest is a waste of time. The narrator persuasively alludes to this comment later on with the imperative seize the day, “carpe diem” (8). This imperative is a forceful and direct command that shows how dire the urgency