Name: Class:
The Coming of Night
By Linda Pastan
2001
Linda Pastan (b. 1932) is an award-winning American poet known for writing short poems that
address topics like family life, the female experience, aging, and death. As you read, take notes
on the speaker’s attitude.
[1] When ambition, like a faulty
pilot light,1 sputters
and goes out and the abstract
spark of hunger with it;
[5] when even those whose fiery
eccentricities2 seemed
inextinguishable have faded into
darkness or been snuffed3 out,
we are left with the peace
[10] of evensong,4 with night
coming on in the midst "Nightfall" by Virginia (Ginny) Sanderson is
of what yesterday licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
was simply afternoon.
All the clocks are changed now.
[15] It is almost time to feel our way
out of the world.
"The Coming of the Night" from Poetry Magazine by Linda Pastan. Copyright © 2001 by Linda
Pastan. Used by permission of Linda Pastan. All rights reserved.
1. A pilot light is a small gas flame, usually natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas, which
serves as an ignition source for a more powerful gas burner.
2. Eccentricity (noun) behavior that is unconventional and slightly strange
3. Snuff (verb) to cause a fire or a light to stop burning or shining
4. In some Christian traditions, evensong is also called evening prayer.
1
Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
2
Text-Dependent Questions
Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete
sentences.
1. What is the "spark of hunger" that the speaker mentions in line 4?
A. One's curiosity
B. One's endless hunger
C. One's will and desire to live
D. One's health
2. How does the poet's simile comparing "life's ambitions" and "a faulty pilot light"
contribute to the central idea of the poem?
A. Both eventually come to an end or die.
B. People's lives bring light to others just like fire.
C. Fire brings individuals peace during struggles in life.
D. A pilot light makes appliances run just like ambitions make humans run.
3. Part A: How does the speaker in the poem feel about death?
A. The speaker is uncertain and feels that death is unexpected and
impossible to prepare for.
B. The speaker is scared and feels that death is uncertain and dying is
unpredictable
C. The speaker is content and feels that death is a natural part of life.
D. The speaker is excited and feels that death is something to embrace and
look forward to.
4. PART B: Which of the following details from the poem best supports the answer to
Part A?
A. "even those whose fiery eccentricities seemed inextinguishable" (Lines 5-7)
B. "we are left with the peace" (Line 9)
C. "All the clocks are changed now." (Line 14)
D. "feeling our way out of the world" (Lines 15-16)
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5. How does the title of the poem contribute to its overall theme?
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Discussion Questions
Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be
prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.
1. Consider the poem's title, "The Coming of Night." Why do you think night is so often
used as a metaphor or descriptor of death? Compare this poem to other works from
literature, film, or music that also use the "night" metaphor. How are they similar or
different?
2. Do you think the speaker's attitude towards death is universal? Why might people
disagree with how he or she characterizes the end of life?
