PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
Tell me, tell me, smiling child,
What the past is like to thee ?
'An Autumn evening soft and mild
With a wind that sighs mournfully.'
What the past is like to thee ?
'An Autumn evening soft and mild
With a wind that sighs mournfully.'
Tell me, what is the present hour ?
'A green and flowery spray
Where a young bird sits gathering its power
To mount and fly away.'
'A green and flowery spray
Where a young bird sits gathering its power
To mount and fly away.'
And what is the future, happy one ?
'A sea beneath a cloudless sun ;
A mighty, glorious, dazzling sea
Stretching into infinity.'
Analysis and Review of the poem by Okoro Amarachi Anastasia
This poem, written by By Emily Jane Bronte. The theme of the poem captures perceptions of time as seen through the eyes of a child, a youth, and a mature adult. The child, with a limited perspective of life, views the past as a comforting and nostalgic time, while the present is associated with growth and potential. In contrast, the adult sees the future as an endless and promising horizon. The poem's structure and use of imagery reinforce this contrast. It has no regular rhyme scheme, though, there is rhythm. There is use of figurative devices such as, Alliteration (in line 1 “Tell me, tell me, smiling child”) Assonance ( in line 3 “An Autumn evening soft and mild) Repetition ( seen in first line of stanza and stanza two “Tell me”) rhetorical questions ( seen in line 2, 5 and 9 of the poem).
This poem captures the different ways individuals perceive time based on their experiences and stage of life, highlighting the subjective and multifaceted nature of time's perception. The first stanza, depicting the past, is characterized by soft and gentle language, evoking a sense of peace and tranquility. The second stanza, representing the present, uses more dynamic and lively imagery, suggesting a time of action and energy. The final stanza, portraying the future, employs grand and expansive language, creating a sense of awe and anticipation.
Personally , this poem send an important message to the youths, relating with perception of life and how to deal with it. The past, present and future are stages every human being will come across and experienced, what no matter is what we do with time.