Herrick uses "The Virgins" in the poem to represent the beginning of life, or youth. The gathering of roses is a metaphor for living life to the fullest. Symbolically, the rosebud represents youth and beauty,which has yet to bloom, but will age and eventually die. Like the "virgins," the rose buds are fresh and youthful; however, the youth of the rose, like life, is passing quickly. Herrick wrote these opening lines of in order make it clear he is concentrating on those in the prime of their life. In the next stanza the sun is personified by showing that time is passing quickly,ultimately creating the carpe diem theme. Like the rose, the personified sun and his progress across the sky are a metaphor for the ultimate fate of humans, death.
In the third stanza, the speaker of the poem stresses that youth is the time when one's blood is "warm", desirable, and passionate; the speaker believes this is the "best" time of one's life. This also demonstrates the theme carpe diem, and implies that one should take advantage of their "virginity" by indulging in it.
The final stanza of the poem urges the virgins, who represent all those who are young and inexperienced, to pursue love