1.) The rosebuds in stanza one symbolize innocence and virginity. The course of a day symbolizes the course of a lifetime. More specifically, it symbolizes a sexual timeline. When young, you are active and happy, but then times worsen. I believe the meaning of ?rosebud? is narrowed down to actually using your virginity to be happy.
2.) The meaning of the title is helpful for the reader because then one can already realize that the poem is directed to virgins. Maidens is a more polite name for lady. The author is dedicating this poem to girls that abstain from sex. The narrator wants these women to enjoy life when young because then they will be miserable and will probably regret it.
3.) It is important to gather the rosebuds quickly because life is short and it does not offer people many opportunities to be happy and enjoy. Before you know it, love would have been gone and sex would mean a darker and less joyful experience.
4.) The worst times are those of maturity and infertility. When life starts demanding more and the sweet innocence of love and sex are gone. People become sad, and miserable very soon if they do not enjoy when they can.
5.) The words the author of the poem chooses are key to the meaning of the poem. For example, instead of course, he uses ?race?. What this word says is that life is not just a course of events, but actually a race for happiness and fulfillment. All the other words used in the poem also emphasize the idea of living the moment and pursuing happiness.