Analyzing Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 'The Tide Falls'

Words: 857
Pages: 4

“The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls” is a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that discusses a variety of topics in an intriguing manner. The author of this poem introduced elements from his personal life, and described something beautiful. The poem describes the seashore at sunset, and it effectively appeals to the five senses. The poems successful description of the seashore at dusk creates a very interesting atmosphere. The sun setting signifies death, and the continuity of the poem signifies the cycle of life. This poem does not have a regular fixed meter, and it’s easily seen. The poem experiences the broken meter in lines 1, 5 , 10, and 15. The poem however, does follow a regular rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme is AABBA AACCA …show more content…
The repetition of “The tide rises, the tide falls” represents the cycle of nature. By representing that it also symbolizes the stages of existence, and quietus. The darkness described throughout the poem such as in “The twilight darkens, the curlew calls” is a symbol of death. However, it is not just a symbol of death. It also describes it as a series of events, at first “The twilight darkens”. Consequently, “the sea in the darkness calls” represents a later stage of darkness or death. The calling made by a variety of things found throughout the poem signifies the continuity of life. The author also provides the reader with magnificent imagery, this allows for a greater visual of the scene. Longfellow presented the reader with his idiosyncratic ability to captivate the senses. “The little waves, with their soft, white hands, Efface the footprints in the sands” show his ability of describing so efficiently the scenery. The author used personification by saying that the waves had hands, this showed the caressing ability of the wave. Repetition was also used throughout the poem. the repeated words were “The tide rises, the tide falls”, and this showed the cycle of