Humankind is likened to the daffodil in the shortness of its lifespan, with growth followed immediately by decline and eventual death. Of course, Herrick is speaking in relative terms, but his readers would be familiar with the concept of human life being compared with that of plant life as far as its temporary nature is concerned; the well-known verses from the Sermon on the Mount (St Matthew’s Gospel 6:28-30) about the “lilies of the field” that are growing one day and “tomorrow are thrown into the furnace” would have struck a chord.
However, Herrick merely points to the comparison without labouring the point. He has already alluded to the best-known sermon ever preached and does not need to offer one of his own.