Carpe diem

The maxim Carpe diem, first issued by the poet Horace, invites man to "cook the day" without worrying about the next day. From the Renaissance to the 19th century, it inspires many writers. From Ronsard to Du Bellay, the poets of La Pleiade find there an exhortation to enjoy the existence, while the romantics, Lamartine or Baudelaire, already see it as a regret of the moment that passes. Each, in his own way, tries to record the fleeting pleasures of life in the eternity of his art.