The Day is Done
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
The Day is Done
The day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of Night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.
I see the lights of the village
Gleam through the rain and the mist,
And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me
That my soul cannot resist:
A feeling of sadness and longing,
That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles the rain.
Come, read to me some poem,
Some simple and heartfelt lay,
That shall soothe this restless feeling,
And banish the thoughts of day.
Not from the grand old masters,
Not from the bards sublime,
Whose distant footsteps echo
Through the corridors of Time,
For, like strains of martial music,
Their mighty thoughts suggest
Life's endless toil and endeavor;
And tonight I long for rest.
Read from some humbler poet,
Whose songs gushed from his heart,
As showers from the clouds of summer,
Or tears from the eyelids start;
Who, through long days of labor,
And nights devoid of ease,
Still heard in his soul the music
Of wonderful melodies.
Such songs have a power to quiet
The restless pulse of care,
And comes like the benediction
That follows after prayer.
Then read from the treasured volume
The poem of thy choice,
And lend to the rhyme of the poet
The beauty of thy voice.
And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares, that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away.
Questions for Discussion
1. All of these stanzas contain a simile except
A) stanza 1.
B) stanza 3.
C) stanza 5.
D) stanza 7.
2. According to stanzas 4 through 9, why does the speaker long to hear poetry from a humbler poet?
A) He wants to celebrate.
B) He wants peace and quiet.
C) He wants to be entertained.
D) He wants mental stimulation.
3. What does the speaker imply about humbler poets?
A) Their voices are beautiful.
B) They are restless people.
C) They are idle people.
D) Their work is sincere.
4. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
A) abab
B) abba
C) abca
D) abcb
1. C; 2. B; 3. D; 4. D
The Challenge of Thor
I am the God Thor,
I am the War God,
I am the Thunderer!
Here in my Northland,
My fastness and fortress,
Reign I forever!
Here amid icebergs
Rule I the nations;
This is my hammer,
Miölner the mighty;
Giants and sorcerers
Cannot withstand it!
These are the gauntlets
Wherewith I wield it,
And hurl it afar off;
This is my girdle;
Whenever I brace it,
Strength is redoubled!
The light thou beholdest
Stream through the heavens,
In flashes of crimson,
Is but my red beard
Blown by the night-wind,
Affrighting the nations!
Jove is my brother;
Mine eyes are the lightning;
The wheels of my chariot
Roll in the thunder,
The blows of my hammer
Ring in the earthquake!
Force rules the world still,
Has ruled it, shall rule it;
Meekness is weakness,
Strength is triumphant,
Over the whole earth
Still is it Thor's-Day!
Thou art a God too,
O Galilean!
And thus singled-handed
Unto the combat,
Gauntlet or Gospel,
Here I defy thee!
hammer — an instrument of power
gauntlets — protective gloves worn with medieval armor
girdle — a belt or sash worn around the waist
Questions of Discussion
1. Which of the following statements expresses the main idea of the poem?
A) Power and might are Thor’s weapons.
B) Other gods and rulers fear Thor’s anger.
C) Giants and sorcerers are at Thor’s mercy.
D) Thunderstorms demonstrate Thor’s power.
2. Which pair of lines from the poem most clearly shows Thor’s command of the powers of nature?
A) “My fastness and fortress, / Reign I forever!”
B) “This is my hammer, / Miölner the mighty;”
C) “The wheels of my chariot / Roll in the thunder,”
D) “Meekness is weakness, / Strength is triumphant,”
3. Which of the following words best describes the speaker’s tone in the poem?
A) bold
B) calm
C) resentful
D) desperate
4. What does the poet’s use of an exclamation point at the end of each stanza mostly indicate?
A) that Thor’s claims are exaggerated
B) that Thor speaks with great difficulty
C) that Thor’s exact words are presented
D) that Thor speaks with emotional force
1. A; 2. C; 3. A; 4. D
The Rainy Day
The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.
mouldering — decaying, fading
Questions of Discussion
1. In line 2, the description “the wind is never weary” means the wind
A) blows lightly.
B) does not stop.
C) changes direction.
D) is not bothersome.
2. What is the main way stanza 2 is different from stanza 1?
A) Stanza 2 focuses on old age rather than youth.
B) Stanza 2 focuses on winter rather than autumn.
C) Stanza 2 focuses on daytime rather than nighttime.
D) Stanza 2 focuses on personal feelings rather than nature.
3. In stanza 3, who is the speaker addressing?
A) the rain
B) his heart
C) the reader
D) his family
4. Read line 12 below.
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
What does the imagery in the line symbolize?
A) hope
B) equality
C) gratitude
D) obedience
5. Which of the following best describes the theme of the poem?
A) Bad storms can negatively affect people.
B) People need others in times of unhappiness.
C) Previous mistakes can haunt a person’s life.
D) A little unhappiness is a normal part of a person’s life.
1. B; 2. D; 3. B; 4. A; 5. D