To Daffodils

By. Robert Herrick

Fair Daffodils, we weep to see

You haste away so soon;

As yet the early-rising sun

Has not attain'd his noon.

Stay, stay,

Until the hasting day

Has run

But to the even-song;

And, having pray'd together, we

Will go with you along.

We have short time to stay, as you,

We have as short a spring;

As quick a growth to meet decay,

As you, or anything.

We die

As your hours do, and dry

Away,

Like to the summer's rain;

Or as the pearls of morning's dew,

Ne'er to be found again.

Meaning: The poem talks about daffodils, which are beautiful flowers that don't last long. The poet talks
to the flowers, asking them to stay longer because they leave too quickly. He compares the short life of
the daffodils to the short life of humans. He says that just like the flowers, humans also have a short time
to live and enjoy life. The poet uses pictures like the rising sun and rain drying up to show how quickly
things change and end.

The poem is like a reminder to appreciate beautiful moments because they don't last forever. It tells us
that everything, including life itself, is temporary and should be enjoyed while it's here.

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1. "Fair Daffodils, we weep to see"

The poet is talking to the daffodils, calling them "Fair" or beautiful. They feel sad ("weep") because the
daffodils are leaving.

2. "You haste away so soon;"

The poet is saying that the daffodils are leaving quickly ("haste away") without staying for long.

3. "As yet the early-rising sun"

This means the sun is just starting to rise early in the morning.

4. "Has not attain'd his noon."

The sun hasn't reached its highest point yet (noon is when the sun is highest in the sky).

5. "Stay, stay,"

The poet is asking the daffodils to stay longer.

6. "Until the hasting day"

He wants the daffodils to stay until the day goes by quickly ("hasting").

7. "Has run"

Until the day has passed.

8. "But to the even-song;"

Until the time of evening when people sing songs ("even-song" refers to evening prayers or songs).

9. "And, having pray'd together, we"

After praying together with the daffodils.

10. "Will go with you along."

The speaker will go along with the daffodils wherever they go.

11. "We have short time to stay, as you,"

Humans also have a short time to stay alive, just like the daffodils.

12. "We have as short a spring;"

Our time to live and enjoy life is brief, just like the short season of spring.

13. "As quick a growth to meet decay,"

We grow quickly but also age and decay fast, like the daffodils.

14. "As you, or anything."

We are like the daffodils or anything else that doesn't last long.

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15. "We die"

"As your hours do, and dry"

We (humans) die just like the hours pass by quickly and things dry up.

16. "Away,"

Everything comes to an end.

17. "Like to the summer's rain;"

Like how summer rain dries up quickly.

18. "Or as the pearls of morning's dew,"

Or like how dewdrops disappear in the morning sun.

19. "Ne'er to be found again."

They are never found again once they disappear.

Theme (Main Idea): The poem is about how things don't last forever. It talks about how beautiful
daffodils quickly disappear, just like how our lives are short. It's a reminder to enjoy and appreciate
beautiful moments because they don't stay around for long. The poem also shows that time always
moves forward and things change. It teaches us to value what we have now because it might not be
there later.

Figures of Speech
1. Personification: Giving human qualities to something non-human.

Example: "Fair Daffodils, we weep to see" - Daffodils are made to seem like they can cry.

2. Metaphor: Comparing two things directly without using "like" or "as."

Examples:

▪ "We have as short a spring" - Comparing human life to the short season of spring.

▪ "As quick a growth to meet decay" - Comparing how fast humans grow to how quickly they
age and decline.

3. Simile: Comparing two things using "like" or "as."

Examples:

▪ "We die like to the summer's rain" - Comparing how humans die to how summer rain dries
up fast.

▪ "Or as the pearls of morning's dew" - Comparing something disappearing to how morning
dew vanishes.

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 Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
By. William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;

Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Meaning

In this poem, the poet is talking about the woman he loves and is saying that she is even more beautiful
and calm than a summer day. He starts by asking if he should compare her to a summer day. He
immediately says that the person is even more beautiful and calm than a summer day. While summer
days can be really hot or windy and they don't last long, the poet believes that his beloved’s beauty will
last forever because it is written in this poem.

▪ Lines 1-2: The poet starts by asking if he should compare his beloved to a summer’s day, then quickly
says she is more lovely and calm.

▪ Lines 3-4: Summer can have rough winds that shake the new flowers of May, and summer doesn’t
last very long.

▪ Lines 5-6: Sometimes the sun (called "the eye of heaven") is too hot, and sometimes it is covered by
clouds.

▪ Lines 7-8: Everything beautiful eventually loses its beauty either by accident or because nature
changes.

▪ Lines 9-10: But the beloved’s "eternal summer" (their beauty) will not fade, nor will they lose their
beauty.

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▪ Lines 11-12: Death won’t be able to claim the person because they will live on in the poem.

▪ Lines 13-14: As long as people live and read the poem, the beloved’s beauty will live on.

Theme (Main Idea): The main theme of the poem is the lasting nature of true beauty and love. Unlike a
summer day that comes and goes, the speaker believes the person's beauty will stay forever, especially
because it is captured in the poem.

Figures of Speech
1. Simile: Comparing two things using "like" or "as."

Example: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"

The poet is asking if he should compare his beloved to a summer day, saying that she is as lovely and
warm as a day in summer.

2. Metaphor: Comparing two things without using "like" or "as."

Example: "the eye of heaven"

This is a metaphor for the sun,. It compares the sun to an eye in the sky that watches over everything.

3. Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things.

Examples:

▪ "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May"

▪ "And summer’s lease hath all too short a date"

▪ "Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade"

The poem describes the wind as being rough, like it can purposely shake the flowers. It says that summer
has a lease, meaning it only lasts for a short time, like renting something. Death is described as bragging,
which gives it a human quality.

4. Alliteration: The repetition of the same consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

Example: "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May"

The 'd' sound in "darling" and "buds" is repeated, creating a musical effect.

5. Imagery: Descriptive language that creates vivid pictures in the reader’s mind.

Examples:

▪ "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May"

▪ "the eye of heaven shines"

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 ▪ "gold complexion dimm'd"

These lines create clear images of a windy day shaking flowers, the sun shining brightly, and the sun
being dimmed by clouds.

6. Hyperbole: Exaggeration to make a point.

Example: "thy eternal summer shall not fade"

This means the beloved’s beauty will never go away, which is an exaggeration to show how lasting and
special her beauty is.

7. Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds, typically at the end of words or within words.

Example: "So long as men can breathe or eyes can see"

The 's' sound is repeated, giving a sense of continuity and rhythm.

8. Anaphora: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

Example: "So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."

The phrase "So long" is repeated to emphasize the lasting nature of the poem and the beloved’s beauty.

9. Paradox: A statement that appears contradictory but reveals a truth.

Example: "Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade"

It suggests that even though everyone dies, the beloved’s beauty will not be taken by death because it
lives on in the poem.

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 This Lady's Cruelty Poem
by Sir Philip Sidney
WITH how sad steps, O moon, thou climb'st the skies!
How silently, and with how wan a face!
What! may it be that even in heavenly place
That busy archer his sharp arrows tries?
Sure, if that long-with-love-acquainted eyes
Can judge of love, thou feel'st a lover's case:
I read it in thy looks; thy languish'd grace
To me, that feel the like, thy state descries.
Then, even of fellowship, O Moon, tell me,
Is constant love deem'd there but want of wit?
Are beauties there as proud as here they be?
Do they above love to be loved, and yet
Those lovers scorn whom that love doth possess?
Do they call 'virtue' there--ungratefulness?

Meaning:

In this poem, the poet talks to the moon, noticing how sad and pale it looks as it moves across the sky.
He wonders if even in heaven, Cupid causes the pain of love. Seeing the moon's tired state, the poet
feels a connection and asks if being loyal in love is seen as silly, if beautiful beings in heaven are as proud
and dismissive as those on Earth, and if what is called virtue in heaven is really just being ungrateful. The
poem is about the poet's thoughts on love, especially unreturned love, and whether the problems of
love are the same everywhere.

1. "WITH how sad steps, O moon, thou climb'st the skies!"

The poet sees the moon moving slowly and sadly across the sky.

2. "How silently, and with how wan a face!"

The moon moves silently and looks pale and tired.

3. "What! may it be that even in heavenly place"

The poet wonders if even in the sky, a place thought to be perfect,

4. "That busy archer his sharp arrows tries?"

Cupid (the archer) shoots his arrows, causing love and pain even there.

5. "Sure, if that long-with-love-acquainted eyes"

The poet thinks that if the moon, which has seen love for a long time,

6. "Can judge of love, thou feel'st a lover's case:"

Knows about love, then the moon must understand what it's like to be in love.

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7. "I read it in thy looks; thy languish'd grace"

The poet sees the moon’s tired and graceful appearance,

8. "To me, that feel the like, thy state descries."

And feels that the moon’s state reflects his own feelings of love.

9. "Then, even of fellowship, O Moon, tell me,"

Because they share the same feelings, the poet asks the moon,

10. "Is constant love deem'd there but want of wit?"

If being faithful in love is considered foolish up in the sky.

11. "Are beauties there as proud as here they be?"

If beautiful beings in the sky are as proud as beautiful people on Earth.

12. "Do they above love to be loved, and yet"

If those in the sky enjoy being loved,

13. "Those lovers scorn whom that love doth possess?"

But then look down on those who love them.

14. "Do they call 'virtue' there--ungratefulness?"

If what is considered 'virtue' in the sky is actually ingratitude or being unthankful.

In short, the poem reflects the speaker's feelings of one-sided love and wonders if the moon, which also
looks sad and tired, experiences the same emotions. The speaker questions if the issues of pride, scorn,
and ungratefulness in love that exist on Earth are also present in the heavens.

Theme (Main Idea):

The theme of the poem is about the struggles and feelings of love, especially when love is not returned.
The poet wonders if the same problems and emotions we face on Earth, like sadness, longing, pride, and
being ungrateful, also exist in heaven. By talking to the moon, the poet suggests that these feelings are
universal and timeless, affecting everyone, no matter where they are. The poem shows that love's
challenges are a common experience for all.

Figures of Speech
1. Personification: Giving human qualities to something non-human.

"With how sad steps, O moon, thou climb'st the skies!" - The moon is described as if it can climb
and feel sadness, like a human.

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 "How silently, and with how wan a face!" - The moon is described as having a face that looks
pale and tired.

2. Apostrophe: Addressing someone or something that isn't present as if it can hear.

"O moon," - The poet talks directly to the moon as if it can listen and respond.

3. Metaphor: Comparing two things without using "like" or "as."

"That busy archer his sharp arrows tries" - Cupid is referred to as an archer whose arrows cause
people to fall in love, comparing love’s effect to being struck by arrows.

4. Rhetorical Questions: Questions asked for effect, not requiring answers.

▪ "Is constant love deem'd there but want of wit?" - The poet asks if being loyal in love is
considered foolish in heaven.

▪ "Are beauties there as proud as here they be?" - The poet wonders if beautiful beings in
heaven are as proud as those on Earth.

▪ "Do they above love to be loved, and yet those lovers scorn whom that love doth possess?" -
The poet asks if those in heaven enjoy being loved but still look down on their lovers.

▪ "Do they call 'virtue' there--ungratefulness?" - The poet questions if what is called virtue in
heaven is actually ungratefulness.

5. Imagery:

▪ "How silently, and with how wan a face!" - Creates a visual image of the moon moving
quietly with a pale appearance.
▪ "Thy languish'd grace" - Evokes a picture of the moon looking graceful but tired and weak.

6. Alliteration:

▪ "With how sad steps" - The repetition of the 's' sound emphasizes the slow and sorrowful
movement.
▪ "busy archer his sharp arrows" - The repetition of the 'a' sound draws attention to the
metaphor of Cupid's actions.

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 The Good-Morrow
By. John Donne
I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I

Did, till we loved? Were we not weaned till then?

But sucked on country pleasures, childishly?

Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den?

’Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be.

If ever any beauty I did see,

Which I desired, and got, ’twas but a dream of thee.

And now good-morrow to our waking souls,

Which watch not one another out of fear;

For love, all love of other sights controls,

And makes one little room an everywhere.

Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone,

Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown,

Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one.

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,

And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;

Where can we find two better hemispheres,

Without sharp north, without declining west?

Whatever dies, was not mixed equally;

If our two loves be one, or, thou and I

Love so alike, that none do slacken, none can die.

The poem talks about how life felt meaningless before the lovers found each other. Their love has
awakened them, making past pleasures seem childish. Now, their love makes their world complete.
They see themselves in each other and believe their love is so perfect and balanced that it will never
die.

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Stanza 1

1. "I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I / Did, till we loved?"

I wonder what we did before we fell in love.

2. "Were we not weaned till then? / But sucked on country pleasures, childishly?"

Were we like babies, enjoying simple, childish things?

3. "Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den?"

Or were we like the Seven Sleepers, unaware and sleeping for a long time?

4. "’Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be."

Yes, that’s how it was; all those other pleasures were just illusions.

5. "If ever any beauty I did see, / Which I desired, and got, ’twas but a dream of thee."

Any beauty I saw and wanted before was just a shadow of you.

Stanza 2

6. "And now good-morrow to our waking souls,"

Good morning to our awakened souls.

7. "Which watch not one another out of fear;"

We don't watch each other out of jealousy or fear.

8. "For love, all love of other sights controls,"

Our love makes us uninterested in anything else.

9. "And makes one little room an everywhere."

Our love makes one small room feel like the whole world.

10. "Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone, / Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have
shown,"

Let explorers find new lands and let maps show many worlds.

11. "Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one."

We have one world in each other; together we are complete.

Stanza 3

12. "My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,"

I see my reflection in your eyes, and you see yours in mine.

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 13. "And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;"

Our honest and simple hearts are shown in our faces.

14. "Where can we find two better hemispheres, / Without sharp north, without declining west?"

Our love is like two perfect halves of the world, without harshness or decline.

15. "Whatever dies, was not mixed equally;"

Anything that dies was not perfectly balanced.

16. "If our two loves be one, or, thou and I / Love so alike, that none do slacken, none can die."

If our love is united and equal, it will never weaken or die.

Theme (Main Idea):

The theme of the poem is about the power of true love to transform and complete our lives. The poet
talks about how life felt empty and meaningless before finding love, and how love has awakened them to
a new, fuller existence. The poem suggests that true love makes everything else seem unimportant,
creating a complete and perfect world for the lovers. It emphasizes the idea that when two people truly
love each other, their love becomes timeless and unbreakable.

Figures of Speech
1. Rhetorical Questions: These are questions asked for effect, not to get an answer.

"What thou and I did, till we loved?" - The poet asks what they did before they fell in love, but he
doesn't expect an answer.

2. Metaphor: A direct comparison between two things without using "like" or "as."

"Country pleasures" - Comparing simple, earlier joys to childish activities.

"Seven Sleepers’ den" - Comparing their previous state to the legendary people who slept for
centuries, meaning they were unaware before their love.

3. Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things.

"Good-morrow to our waking souls" - Treating their souls as if they can wake up and greet each
other.

"Love of other sights controls" - Describing love as if it has the power to control their interests.

4. Imagery: Descriptive language that creates pictures in the mind.

"My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears" - Creating a visual image of them seeing their
reflections in each other's eyes.

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5. Hyperbole: Exaggeration for emphasis.

"Makes one little room an everywhere" - Exaggerating to show how their love makes even a small
room feel like the whole world.

6. Parallelism: Using similar structures in a series of words or phrases.

"Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone, / Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown" -
Repeating the structure to emphasize the exploration of new worlds.

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