Date of Publication: 1868
Genre: Lyric poem
Structure and Form:
- Five stanzas, each with six lines
- Iambic tetrameter (four iambs per line)
- ABABCC rhyme scheme
Themes:
- The beauty and tranquility of nature at dusk
- The poet's appreciation for the simple pleasures of life
- The fleeting nature of time
Literary Devices:
- Personification: nature is described as a "gentle mother"
- Alliteration: "sings sweetest," "quiet calm," "fades far"
- Assonance: "sings sweetest songs," "fades far away"
- Metaphor: the sun is compared to "a golden crown"
Key Lines:
- "The day is done, the sun is set, / The twilight lingers yet a while, / And o'er the peaceful landscape spread / A soft and tender smile." (Stanza 1)
- "The robin sings its sweetest songs, / The cricket chirps its lay, / The katydid its note prolongs, / Until the close of day." (Stanza 2)
- "The golden crown of day has sunk / Far 'neath the western main, / And on the eastern horizon's brink / Appears the evening's train." (Stanza 5)
Meaning and Interpretation:
"The Day Is Done" is a meditative poem that celebrates the beauty of the natural world and the simple pleasures of life. The poem's speaker takes a moment to appreciate the beauty of the sunset and the sounds of nature at dusk. They reflect on the fleeting nature of time and the passage of day into night. The poem's message is that in the midst of the busyness of life, it is important to take a moment to enjoy and appreciate the simple things that bring us joy and contentment.