Analysis of In The Harbour: Sundown

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1807 (Portland) – 1882 (Cambridge)



The summer sun is sinking low;
Only the tree-tops redden and glow:
Only the weathercock on the spire
Of the neighboring church is a flame of fire;
All is in shadow below.

O beautiful, awful summer day,
What hast thou given, what taken away?
Life and death, and love and hate,
Homes made happy or desolate,
Hearts made sad or gay!

On the road of life one mile-stone more!
In the book of life one leaf turned o'er!
Like a red seal is the setting sun
On the good and the evil men have done,--
Naught can to-day restore!


Scheme AAXBA CCXXC DBEED
Poetic Form
Metre 01011101 100111001 1001101 101001101110 110101 110010101 1111011001 1010101 11101100 11111 101111111 0011111110 101110101 1010010111 111101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 512
Words 102
Sentences 7
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5
Lines Amount 15
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 132
Words per stanza (avg) 33
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

30 sec read
71

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline. more…

All Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poems | Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Books

18 fans

Discuss this Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "In The Harbour: Sundown" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/18657/in-the-harbour%3A-sundown>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    1
    day
    17
    hours
    53
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    How many syllables an Iambic Pentameter line must have?
    A 10
    B 12
    C 3
    D 20