StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Nature by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
This paper tells that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s most poignant and quite possibly his only message in his poem Nature is one of human mortality and vulnerability to nature.  Human mortality is a thing of nature and as such takes control of our lives, setting boundaries and limitations…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER97.3% of users find it useful
Nature by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Nature by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow"

Download file to see previous pages

It is evidently clear from the discussion that Longfellow describes the little child in the scenario as “half willing, half reluctant to be led.” (Longfellow, Nature) This phrase is symbolic and filled with imagery all at once. The image of the child, too tired to object, yet reluctant to go to bed is symbolic of man’s attitude toward nature and its fate. In this phrase, Longfellow conveys the underlying message that man realizes that when nature takes its course and death is near, he has no choice in the matter and he therefore submits.

Just as a child knows that sleep is necessary, he or she also knows that it is only a reprieve. For the Christian being, nature calls us to our deaths and delivers to eternal life. Just like a child, while the Christian being may be reluctant to interrupt the present, they succumb to the higher power secure in the knowledge that it is no more than a temporary reprieve. The child’s bed is therefore symbolic of death, a path ascertained by nature. Likewise, the end of the day is symbolic of the end of life, a natural process.

In even more poignant imagery, Longfellow uses a child’s “playthings” with man’s life long accomplishments and relations. Just as the fond mother interrupts the child’s day at a time when he or she may have not gathered their playthings in a satisfactory state, nature can call an end to man’s life at the most inconvenient time. By using imagery and symbolism in this manner Longfellow conveys the message that nature has its own plans for us independent of our own and will not reconcile its plans to suit ours.

In other words, as long as we live we are influenced and impacted by nature as it takes its course with our loved ones and all of our possessions. Loved ones become ill and recover or die.

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Nature by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words”, n.d.)
Nature by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/literature/1547097-literary-analysis-on-the-poem-nature-by-henry-wadsworth-longfellow
(Nature by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words)
Nature by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words. https://studentshare.org/literature/1547097-literary-analysis-on-the-poem-nature-by-henry-wadsworth-longfellow.
“Nature by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/literature/1547097-literary-analysis-on-the-poem-nature-by-henry-wadsworth-longfellow.
  • Cited: 2 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Nature by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Life and Death in Longfellows The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls

henry wadsworth longfellow's “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls” shows people that death is unavoidable, so people should not fear it.... Life and Death in longfellow's “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls” Many people do not like to be reminded of their mortality, but it is not always wise to ignore the briefness of human existence.... … Life and Death in longfellow's “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls” Many people do not like to be reminded of their mortality, but it is not always wise to ignore the briefness of human existence....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Comparing Rural Life in Sleepy Hallow, and Letters from an American Farmer

Recurrent Themes in Dickenson's Poems in 1862 The year 1862, was the year of the greatest stress for Emily Dickinson life as distance and danger (of war) were threatening the Emily's friends - Samuel Bowles, Charles wadsworth and T.... restful, drowsy, dreamy effects of Sleepy Hallow marks a romantic idealization of nature.... Although her resplendent poetry portraits all aspect of human life yet the major subjects of this eon were love, death, nature, and God....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Explaining the American Renaissance Paper

American literary scene had eminently powerful exponents in henry wadsworth longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Lowell who in their own way were depicting the nuances of American psyche.... ?? (Emerson, Aug 31, 1837) This clarion call for breaking the shackles opened the floodgates of American writing which for the first time transcended the boundaries of utilitarian, political, and spiritual writing (which had till then been the dominant nature of American output) and metamorphosed into true literature....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Style Analysis

henry wadsworth longfellow Style Analysis Henry Longfellow was among the best boys in school.... A nameless grave by henry is one poem that uses imagery and the theme of fear (Gioia).... This essay describes poetry, Henry longfellow uses the theme of love, religion, and fear of the future to show the readers his simplicity and stylistic mode of writing.... hellip; Henry longfellow was among the best boys in school.... This letter was just a tip of the iceberg about longfellow who has ended up to be one of the most ancient and top writer in the history of Europe....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Early History of the United States

The author of this essay "U.... .... History" casts light on the history of the USA.... It is mentioned here that the Paleo-Indians and Mesoamericans are some of the first people to inhabit North America.... The Clovis people entered North America through the Bering Strait Bridge.... nbsp;… Despite the scanty evidence of the timing or route of their movement into North America, these early inhabitants are believed to have migrated after civilization....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Analyzing of Aftermath by Henry Longfellow

Unlike prose, where long passages serve as a jigsaw pieces for the whole picture, poetry empowers every word to mean more than it is written in the… Aftermath written by henry Wordsworth Longfellow is a short poem which consists of only 14 lines but it manages to impress the reader with its vivid imagery.... Aftermath by longfellow consists of only two stanzas; the word choices are very accurate and clear.... Obviously, longfellow uses both meanings to intensify the overall impression after reading the poem and give readers a hint about its content....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Anti-Slavery Fireside Poets

In the paper “Anti-Slavery Fireside Poets” the author focuses on the fireside poets (henry wadsworth longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russell Lowell, and William Cullen Bryant) who were the first American poets to rival English poets both in USA and England.... The fireside poets (henry wadsworth longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russell Lowell, and William Cullen Bryant) were the first American poets to rival English poets both in USA and England....
2 Pages (500 words) Book Report/Review

Poem Explanation

Line Four: The pessimism in Longfellow is well portrayed in Rainy day by henry wadsworth Affiliation: Rainy day by henry wadsworth Stanza one Line One: Henry shows how he has no motivation, he also describes how he has lost hope and the gloom that comes with it.... In this line, longfellow recalls of what activities he did when he was young.... ine Five: longfellow shows how hope is non-existent and the sadness and emptiness of the days ahead....
2 Pages (500 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us