SELF-INTERIGATION
"The evening passes fast away.
'Tis almost time to rest;
What thoughts has left the vanished day,
What feelings in thy breast?
'Tis almost time to rest;
What thoughts has left the vanished day,
What feelings in thy breast?
"The vanished day? It leaves a sense
Of labour hardly done;
Of little gained with vast expense—
A sense of grief alone?
Of labour hardly done;
Of little gained with vast expense—
A sense of grief alone?
"Time stands before the door of Death,
Upbraiding bitterly
And Conscience, with exhaustless breath,
Pours black reproach on me:
Upbraiding bitterly
And Conscience, with exhaustless breath,
Pours black reproach on me:
"And though I've said that Conscience lies
And Time should Fate condemn;
Still, sad Repentance clouds my eyes,
And makes me yield to them!
And Time should Fate condemn;
Still, sad Repentance clouds my eyes,
And makes me yield to them!
"Then art thou glad to seek repose?
Art glad to leave the sea,
And anchor all thy weary woes
In calm Eternity?
Art glad to leave the sea,
And anchor all thy weary woes
In calm Eternity?
"Nothing regrets to see thee go—
Not one voice sobs' farewell;'
And where thy heart has suffered so,
Canst thou desire to dwell?"
Not one voice sobs' farewell;'
And where thy heart has suffered so,
Canst thou desire to dwell?"
"Alas! the countless links are strong
That bind us to our clay;
The loving spirit lingers long,
And would not pass away!
That bind us to our clay;
The loving spirit lingers long,
And would not pass away!
"And rest is sweet, when laurelled fame
Will crown the soldier's crest;
But a brave heart, with a tarnished name,
Would rather fight than rest.
Will crown the soldier's crest;
But a brave heart, with a tarnished name,
Would rather fight than rest.
"Well, thou hast fought for many a year,
Hast fought thy whole life through,
Hast humbled Falsehood, trampled Fear;
What is there left to do?
Hast fought thy whole life through,
Hast humbled Falsehood, trampled Fear;
What is there left to do?
"'Tis true, this arm has hotly striven,
Has dared what few would dare;
Much have I done, and freely given,
But little learnt to bear!
Has dared what few would dare;
Much have I done, and freely given,
But little learnt to bear!
"Look on the grave where thou must sleep
Thy last, and strongest foe;
It is endurance not to weep,
If that repose seem woe.
"The long war closing in defeat—
Defeat serenely borne,—
Thy midnight rest may still be sweet,
And break in glorious morn!"
Defeat serenely borne,—
Thy midnight rest may still be sweet,
And break in glorious morn!"
Analysis and Review of the poem
This introspective poem explores themes of wasted time, regret, and the struggle against adversity. It is a poem of twelve stanzas (each stanza has four lines - quatrain) with rhyme scheme of ab ab cd cd … it has a poem passed across a vital knowledge to the youths, about life by reflecting on her own life. This state of mind is everyone tend to experience especially at the difficulty stage in one's life.
Looking at the beginning of the poem, the poet reflects on a day of toil that has yielded little progress, leaving only a sense of loss. This painful feeling that comes with it and mourns one must bear. I believe that at some point in life, youths experienced this challenge. Working with no results. The out put or results from one’s labor is below the input or effort enforced into it. In addition, Conscience and Time chastise the poet for their shortcomings, but the speaker remains haunted by guilt due to the bound to earthly existence by emotional attachments despite the prospect of eternal rest. The poem suggests that true rest can only be found in overcoming adversity and embracing the inevitability of death with grace.
Stylistically, the poem is characterized by its straightforward language, use of rhetorical questions, and a sense of urgency and self-confrontation. In the context of the time period, the poem suit this 21st century generation as it emphasizes on the need self-improvement and the obtaining victory against the struggles of life. Language of abort an old English language and the tone of poet is sad, instructive and pitiful. The common poetic devices used in poem are; Personification (seen in line 1; "The evening passes fast away.” and in “But a brave heart, with a tarnished name,
Would rather fight than rest”.) Alliteration ( seen in line "Well, thou hast fought for many a year” and in line “Hast humbled Falsehood, trampled Fear; ) etc.
Would rather fight than rest”.) Alliteration ( seen in line "Well, thou hast fought for many a year” and in line “Hast humbled Falsehood, trampled Fear; ) etc.