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Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Poem "Daybreak" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Summary analysis explanation

Poem "Daybreak" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Helpful for Class XI Students WBCHSE)

                   Daybreak
                   -  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A wind came up out of the sea,
And said, "O mists, make room for me"
It hailed the ships, and cried," Sail on",
Ye mariners, the night is gone."
And hurried landward far away,
Crying, "Awake! It is the day."
It said unto the forest, "Shout!"
Hang all your leafy banners out!"
It touched the wood- bird's folded wing, 
And said, " O bird, awake and sing."
And o'er the farms, " O Chanticleer,
Your Clarion blow ; the day is near."
It whispered to the fields of corn,
"Bow down, and hail the coming morn."
It shouted through the belfry - tower,
"Awake, O bell! Proclaim the hour."
It crossed the churchyard with a sigh,
And said, " Not yet! in quiet lie."


Poem "Daybreak" by Longfellow.
Photo Credit - www.Google.com


Source- WBCHSE English Book (Mindscapes).







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Word Meaning:

Daybreak       : Breaking of day/beginning of day/ morning.
Mist                 : Fog.
Hailed             : Welcomed
Mariners       : Sailors
Hurried          : went quickly
Landward      : Towards the land
Chanticleer   : Rooster/Cock
Clarion           : Horn/ Crowing Sound
Whispered    : Talk in a low voice
Bow down      : Stoop/ Keeping the head down in order to show respect
Morn               : Morning
Belfry Tower : The tower that has bells for ringing as part of a building
Churchyard  : Graveyard/Where dead bodies are buried.
Quiet              : Silent
Lie                  : Rest/ sleep.

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Analysis
The poem "Daybreak" is written by the popular American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This poem is a conversational poem where the sea wind blows cheerfully and establishes a conversation with other objects of nature. The poem is written in mine rhyming couplets.

Couplet 1 : The sea wind flows from sea to land at daytime. This, the sea wind announces the beginning of the day with its flow. The sea wind clears the morning mist, thus making way (room) for it. The sea wind addresses the mist and ask it to make room for it.

Couplet 2 : The sea wind announces the beginning of the day and asks the mariners to set their sail as the night is gone. The sea wind here represents the fresh beginning of day.

Couplet 3 : After this, the wind goes far away and announces the rise of day breaking the sleep of everyone. The sea wind is almost like a music that awakens everyone from sleep.

Couplet 4 : The wind is very cheerful and it almost makes a feast in the city and forest. The wind now flows towards the forest. As it moves along the forest, he asks the "leafy banners" ( leaves of trees that hung like banner) to move out of its way.

Couplet 5 : The wind now awakens the wood - bird; the bird was lying with its folded wing. And then the wind suddenly awakens it and asks it to sing cheerfully and loudly.

Couplet 6 : The next Couplet vividly portrays the scenario of morning day as we find a "chanticleer" (Rooster/Cock). The wind encourages the cock to blow its Clarion, i.e. to crow in the early morning. The sea wind enlivens every object and gives new energy to the living beings.


Couplet 7 : Longfellow beautifully portrays the morning nature with his vivid images. He personifies the corn in the fields and imagines that the sea wind makes them bow to the morning. The crop/corn welcomes tbe morning by bowing down. (Bowing down is a sign of respect).

Couplet 8 : The wind does everything that vividly celebrates the beginning of the day. The wind passes through the church tower. It makes it ring to announce the time - the early morning.

Couplet 9 :After all the conversation is over, the wind reaches to the graveyard. Here the poem become silent, calm and peaceful. The wind suddenly stops all its sound and  gives out a sigh only to mourn the death of all who are buried under graves. 
         The wind never intends to disturb the sleeping souls. The wind awakens everyone but here it feels that this is not the right hour to wake them up.

NOTE
:: The graveyard (Churchyard) symbolizes end of life. The day which now begins will come to an end too. The two comparisons go side by side. Everything which has a beginning has a stop too.



About the Poet : Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is an American poet. He was born in 1807. His best poems are- 
" The song of Hiawatha", "Evangeline" etc.
He translated Dante's Divine Comedy. He died in the year of 1882.


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