The Day Is Done Poem Analysis - 1005 Words

Explication of â€Å"The Day is Done† by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow The poem â€Å"The Day is Done,† by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, discusses an exhausted speaker’s wish to hear the work of a simple poet with the expectation that this will relieve his tired state. The steady, calming pace and slightly wistful tone provide the perfect background for the beautiful imagery of this poem, expressed through similes and figurative language. ‘The Day is Done† includes comments on reputation, life’s struggles, and the benefits of poetry and art in general. This lovely poem’s gentle verses leave the reader soothed and care-free. The poem starts by informing the reader that â€Å"the day is done† (Longfellow 575) and darkness has fallen. The speaker is looking†¦show more content†¦However, the tone is not forceful. â€Å"The Day is Done† echoes qualities of a lullaby, gently pulling the reader through the story, moving towar ds the end of the night, moving towards rest. While the poem does not have a set meter, it still flows easily. Each stanza has four lines and the second and fourth lines of the stanzas often use similar metrical patterns, such as in the ninth stanza where the second line reads, â€Å"The restless pulse of care† and the fourth line reads, â€Å"That follows after prayer.† (Longfellow 576). The tone is also aided by the rhyme scheme. The second and fourth line always share the same end rhyme, however the first and third lines do not. This pattern gives the poem a nice flow, which draws the reader along at a steady pace. The feeling of sadness is exemplified through the setting of twilight (with the threat of darkness approaching) and through the rain and mist discussed multiple times throughout the poem. The use of a narrative speaker also makes the reader more aware of the tone. Having the speaker talk in the first person point of view draws sympathy and increases the r eader’s identification with the speaker. Beautiful imagery and figurative language also increase the reader’s connection with the speaker, painting clear pictures of familiar scenes. The speaker often uses physical examples to illustrate an emotional point, as in the third stanza when the speaker employs a simile, saying, â€Å"A feeling of sadness and longing, / That isShow MoreRelatedThe Day Is Done Poem Analysis941 Words   |  4 PagesHenry Wadsworth Longfellow’s short poem, â€Å"The Day is Done,† the reader is given a glimpse of the Romantic era of American poetry. Structurally, it does contain many elements of this era, namely the playful usage of verse or rhyme schemes. However, this is where Longfellow’s work seems to end in relation to typical Romantic poetry. Upon further examination of this poem, the execution of subject matter does not seem to fit a typical Romantic era poems. Since Romantic poems overly gush with inner thoughtsRead MoreComparing Modern And Traditional Poems1359 Words   |  6 PagesModern and Traditional Poems Literature always reflects the reality in the contemporary world. There have been a number of poetic creations from remarkable writers who could skillfully fabricate works which echo the multidimensional aspects of the existing world. However, apart from considering a poem’s worth by linking to its social and cultural contexts, an independent analysis is quite possible. It is in this context that a deep textual analysis of the formal features of the poems becomes significantRead MoreAt Castlewood Emily Bronte Analysis1142 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Jackie Bako Mrs. Boyd AP English IV 15 September 2013 Poetry Analysis Paper Emily Brontà «, born in Yorkshire, the fifth child of six children. Growing up, she always had a keen interest in writing poetry. With her collection of different poems, At Castle Wood was one. 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The title is referring to the boy exiting the living world. Frost drags the readers mind into the poem with the imagistic description of the tools and atmosphere the little boy is surrounded by. Frost describesRead MoreAnalysis of I wondered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth1309 Words   |  6 PagesIn vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my hearth with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. Analysis: Wordsworth had nature as his religion, and that was the main theme of his work and also a characteristic of romanticism. And it’s also very clear on this poem. As literary devices, we have Alliteration on the second line of the first stanza, alliteration and assonance on the fifth line of the first stanza and personification