'Daybreak'- a Poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Hello Friends... 

Sure, we all are doing well... Be careful, we must stay fit and shouldn't fall ill getting our studies affected. We shall eat and drink healthy, exercise regularly, and won't avoid our domestic and social responsibilities. And whatever time we get for ourselves at the end of the day, we must study hard for most of the time, so that we learn to think... and learn. We simply cannot afford to stop thinking, for we are learners, and we are the chosen ones who got the scope to learn... 

Let's learn to think first...

'Daybreak'- a Poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This time we meet here to study a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The title of the poem is 'Daybreak'. It is quite a popular poem by Longfellow. Read it on your own to find out the reason for the immense popularity of both the poet, and this poem in particular. 

You may however ask why I am not asking you to listen to the text first this time as usual. The answer is simple. I failed to find an appropriate recital of the poem on the internet. Well, I must be honest to admit that I didn't search too deep this time. But, you know, you may share my load this time,- find one which you feel helpful and satisfying enough. Or, you need to request your teacher to read/recite the poem for you. I would have done the same for you, but I am still to learn to attach audio files to these discussions. You may again step forward to help me out in this regard, for learning is always a mutual process, and is never unidirectional.

Daybreak 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A wind came up out of the sea,

And said, "O mists, make room for me." 

It hailed the ships, and cried, "Sail on,

Ye mariners, the night is gone." 

And hurried landward far away,

Crying, "Awake! it is the day." 

It said unto the forest, "Shout!

Hang all your leafy banners out!" 

It touched the wood-bird's folded wing,

And said, "O bird, awake and sing." 

And o'er the farms, "O chanticleer,

Your clarion blow; the day is near." 

It whispered to the fields of corn,

"Bow down, and hail the coming morn." 

It shouted through the belfry-tower,

"Awake, O bell! proclaim the hour." 

It crossed the churchyard with a sigh,

And said, "Not yet! in quiet lie."

Longfellow And His Simplistic Poems

How did you find the poem on your first reading? Simple? Indeed it is... Longfellow is particularly known for the amazing simplicity of his poems. You may click the link below to read the article to know a bit about the poet, and if you feel the article to be too long for now, you may just go through the 'assessment' section at the end part of the article to read just about his simplicity and his readers changing view about it. At the same time, I must say that you don’t actually need to read this in order to understand this poem, rather this is just for some additional reading that may be of some help in the future. You may skip it very well if you don’t feel to read it right now:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Wadsworth-Longfellow

The Title

I am pretty sure you all have got the clue to the meaning of the poem directly from its title. The expression 'daybreak' obviously refers to the beginning of the daytime. And you must have found that the poem is actually referring to the early morning time in its course. So here actually we are reading a poem describing the early morning time. It's really simple. But, have you noted how the morning time is being described?

The Narrator/Speaker

Let's rather start with the question who is describing the morning time here. It seems that we have some omniscient speaker here. The speaker chooses to stand aloof, watch carefully and describe the wind and its activities. Do you agree with me?

The Text

Naming of Winds

It all began out there at the sea. A wind came up. Do you know how winds are generally named? Winds are named after the direction from which they blow. So, if we have a wind blowing from the West, then we call the wind as West Wind. Local winds are also named after their places of origin. Hence a local wind or breeze blowing from the sea is called the sea-breeze. Would you like to tell me how we will refer to a breeze blowing from the land? Yes, it is the land breeze that blows from the land. 

Sea Breeze

Do you have any idea when we do have the sea breeze blowing? I am quite sure you have got this discussed in both your physics and geography classes. (Learning is always interdisciplinary.) Do you now remember that sea breeze blows early in the morning from the sea towards the landmass? The first sun rays heat up the mass of air over the land faster than that over the sea (find it out why, if you don't remember) and cause it to rise above being lighter, thus creating a low pressure zone there over the landmass. The comparatively cool air above the sea water then rushes towards the landmass to restore equilibrium in the air pressure, and we call this wind blowing the sea-breeze. Land breeze, on the other hand, tends to blow in the evening from the landmass towards the sea. Would you like to explain why?

The Wind

What is this breeze referred to in the poem that came up out the sea? Land breeze, or sea breeze? Yes it's the sea breeze that had just started blowing. The pressure difference was not much this early, and hence, the wind blew gentle enough.

A Personified Character?

'And said' -mark the beginning of the second line of the poem. Don't you strongly feel now that the poet has attributed animated features to the wind? You may also say that here we do have the wind personified, or that the wind is acting like a (human) character in the poem.

Mists

And the wind addressed the mists. What is this mist, by the way? How do we differentiate between ‘mist’ and ‘fog’? Yes, both are condensed water droplets suspended in the air close to the earth’s surface. Mist is more thin, or less dense, whereas fog is more thick. That's the only difference we do have between mist and fog. Would you like to tell me at this point if mist is countable or uncountable? What for then, do you think the poet had chosen to add the plural marker 's' to 'mist' in the second line of the poem? 

A Personified Character?

Don't you think this rendering of countability to something which is uncountable leads to personification again. Moreover, mists were being addressed here by the wind, or we can say that they are the listeners here. So now we come across the second personified character referred to in the text. 

Direct Speech

There's another interesting aspect in the second line of the text. Have you missed it, the 'O'? This capitalisation in the middle of a line is certainly a nice deviation to mark direct speech without the usual quotation mark. Don't you feel the same? Why don't you try to spot the other instances of direct speech from the text as you read on?

Natural Phenomenon

And as the sea breeze had started blowing, the mist was supposed to get dispersed, or to make room for the wind to blow. That's what happens naturally, you know. Water droplets accumulate due to condensation and remain suspended in the air above sea water in the dead of the night and get dispersed when wind starts blowing or the sun rises and evaporates the suspended water droplets. Have you noted how the poet has described quite a common natural phenomenon in the colour of his poetic imagination. I personally admire this simplistic nature of his poetic imagination which can be interpreted without much effort to look for specific historical context.

The Ships And the Mariners

The wind hailed the ships in the third line. Are these ships personified in the poem? Were the ships sailing out there at the sea? Why don't we complete reading the couplet (two consecutive rhyming lines) to get our answer? What do we find? The wind urged the mariners to sail on as the night was already over. How do you like to answer the above questions now? Are the ships personified? Perhaps not. It is more likely that the wind was actually hailing the mariners/sailors in the ships and not the ships themselves. Were the ships out there at the sea, sailing? Certainly not, else the wind urging them to 'Sail on' at the end part of the third line makes no sense. Is it not so? They had been most probably moored during the night time in some nearby port or marina, awaiting the next day to continue their journey. As the wind passed the port/marina on its way while approaching the landmass, it inflated the sails of the ships, thus readying them for resuming their journey. And we can very well understand that the land mass must be comparatively nearby as the wind had already reached the ships moored in some port or marina.

The Narrative

Have you noted the second instance of direct speech marked by capitalisation in the middle of the third line? That's it. This narration of the third person speaker often includes direct speech, thus sharing the actual words of the wind with us. It certainly reflects the importance of the character. At the same time, don't you feel it to be a tool to turn a narrative more authentic and objective, by using actual words of other speakers? Had the narrator used only her/his words, we as conscious readers might have doubted her/his ‘objective’ perspective. Now when s/he had referred to the exact words of the character being referred to herein the text, we end up appreciating her/his stance to provide us with a scope to get introduced to the character through the character’s own words. We also feel liberated enough to form our opinion about the character instead of blindly following the narrator's point of view.

Hence, now you are to note carefully the speaker throughout. It might be the third person narrator, or the character(s) referred to in the text.

Verbs Describing the Action of the Wind

And, it's at this very stage of the discussion, I would also like to draw your attention to the use of the verbs that are actually describing the actions of the wind. Just make a note of them upto the fourth line [upto which we have read so far].

Have you made your list? Here's mine: 'came up', 'said', 'hailed', and 'cried'. Do you notice anything in particular here? Don't you find the wind gaining on it's vigour and speed as it reached the port/marina? Obviously by this time, the pressure difference had increased as the sun [in the meantime it had risen higher up in the sky] had heated the landmass more, and hence the wind blowing had gained more momentum. And the poet chose to refer to this gradual increase through the verbs: 'said', 'hailed', and 'cried'. Just think of the amount of energy these actions would require. You require minimal vigour to say something to others, some more to hail/greet others heartily, but you need even more vigour when you cry out, or shout to (not at) others. Do you agree? Then, now onwards, you make a careful note of the action verbs as well to get a better insight into the meaning of the text.

Have you noticed that the wind cried out in the third couplet as well, as it hurried (have you added this to the list of your verbs describing the activities of the wind) towards the land? 

Whom Did the Wind Address in the Third Couplet?

Why don’t you find out the one/s whom the wind addressed as it declared the daybreak in the third couplet? Do we have any hint in the poem? No. And that’s liberating for us. Think of any logical possibility, and you’ve got a valid answer. You may think of the waves, or the sea-gulls, or the sky… think of anything that one may come across in this way from the port/marina to the landmass. If you ask for my answer, I would prefer to think that the wind actually cheered out to itself here, as we often do when we are extremely exalted, like after scoring the winning goal in a match.

The Velocity of the Wind in the Fourth Couplet

Now, as we're studying the fourth couplet, would you mind explaining why the wind 'said' unto the forest? In this great poem, you don't require to look for specific historical context. Just a bit of common sense works fine. Yeees, the velocity of the wind got thwarted by the coastal forest line as the wind reached the land… you've nailed it correct.

The Forest

How do you feel about the description of the forest? I myself visualise an 'army' of trees, swaying their ‘banners’ [twigs and branches in reality] up in the sky, shouting their battle-cries [the loud rustling of leaves and branches] standing firm up against an invasion. In reality, as the wind reached the forest lining the coast, it awakened the jungle [previously almost still due to no wind blowing] to life. Do you find the way the poet described it through the shades of his imagination thus engaging the readers' imaginative power as well? And would you like to consider the forest personified here? Would you mind explaining why?

Awakening the Birds in the Forest

Now I am pretty sure you know why the wind 'touched' the birds and 'said' again in the fifth couplet. Isn't this way also helpful for us to imagine how softly, with great care, the wind awakens the wild birds for a new day? 

The Sixth Couplet

Chanticleer

Do you find the sixth couplet difficult? It's not. You just need to know that ‘chanticleer’ here refers to the rooster in the farm. You may very well choose to deviate for once to read an immensely popular medieval fable, rendered to many versions, if you are interested:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanticleer_and_the_Fox

Clarion

Have you noted the word 'clarion'? Obviously you will find its association with war justified if you've read the fable preaching to fight against one's own false pride and ego. You may very well choose to avoid this interpretation, and opt for associating this clarion with just the loud call of the village rooster. Both are logically valid, and readers are free to make their own choice.

Personification of Chanticleer

And if you choose not to assign any war-association to the word 'clarion', you will find that the rooster we come across the sixth couplet is not personified. It is not associated with any animated/human feature then. A rooster crows loudly in the morning, and that’s no personification. But a rooster blowing a clarion signalling a battle to start at daybreak certainly would have been an instance of personification. Right? 

The Seventh Couplet

The Wind

What happened to the velocity of the wind in the seventh couplet? 'It whispered'- have you overlooked? What's the implication? Yes, the wind was losing its vigour further. But why? Actually, the air pressure difference over the sea and the land was almost equalised by that time. Local winds, you must be knowing from the name itself, don't travel long.

The Place

If you have already read about the poet, you have the setting (place in particular) quite clear in your mind as you read the poem. Those who have skipped may make a note of the region closely: sea, coast lined by a forest, a village next to the forest with stretches of cornfield. Now, this last piece of information may help you specifically to visualise a seaside village in the 'temperate zone' in particular. Do you get the trick?

The Wind ‘Shouting’ Again

The wind shouted again in the eighth couplet. Isn't that weird for the dying wind? Not really, for if you carefully study the structure of the 'belfry-tower', then you too understand how the wind was forced to blow through the enclosure built for acoustic reasons:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belfry_(architecture)

Personification of the Corn-plants and the Bell

Have you made a note of how the corn plants (not the fields, for they can't/don't bow) in the seventh couplet, and the bell in the eighth got personified again? Would you like to point out that bells are rung to announce the time (like a clock) still in many places? Yes, they are rung. They don't ring, or proclaim/announce the hour/time by themselves. But here, the wind urged the bell to do so, and thus attributed animated/human feature to it. Hence, it is a personification again.

The Death of the Wind

And now, you must have got it clear that the wind finally died down as it 'crossed the churchyard with a sigh'. The 'sigh' indicates the last breath of the wind, don't you feel so?

The Churchyard

But whom do you think the wind urged to lie in there at the churchyard? The wind awakened everyone announcing the beginning of a new day on its way itself. Then why did it make such a strange request here?

Here, you need to know that traditionally, such country villages as described here have their community graveyards at the rear churchyards where they cremate their near and dear ones after they're dead. And according to the traditional Christian belief, these dead spirits are to wake up finally to embrace the Great Soul/God at the end of the Time (period of creation). Hence, the wind urges the ‘dead’ to be still in their slumber, and not to wake up, for the time is not ripe for them yet.

Metaphorical Implications

Surely you have noted the imaginative power of the poet that has thus depicted this natural phenomenon of a sea-breeze blowing from the sea at the very onset of a new day through the shades of his imagination. Do you think it's just the beauty of some morning that inspired the poet to share the same with us? Or, do we need to look for a metaphorical reference, a message? 

The Morning

Why do you think that morning time is important? Because it's the beginning of a new day. At the onset of a new day, everything is invoked to a fresh new start, to a life of action from the preceding slumber and passivity of the past night. The daybreak is thus a fresh new call unto life. 

The Wind

Why do you think we have so many personified characters here? To achieve a dramatic effect, of course. Why among them, do you think, the wind has been associated with the maximum importance? It's only the wind that blew from the beginning till the end. Don't you notice this? It was the wind that travelled throughout the length of the poem, starting from the sea to a coastal village via the port and the coastal forest lining the beach. It is, in the poem, a living power aroused by the daylight that called everything back to life again, that travelled to spread its energy to enliven the sleeping world. So it awakened the ships at rest in the port, and its sleeping mariners; the coastal forest line and its fauna; the village rooster, the church bell, and thus,--- the whole village. 

The World of the Dead

The poem has a sudden shift in its mood at the final couplet of the poem. The wind is seen to wake the sleepy world unto a new day with its unique motion and energy. However, the world of the dead is not among us. So, it is not a fit time for them to get awakened. 

The Irony 

Would you then like to consider the title as ironic in the sense that though it is a daybreak, a fresh start for all in the world of the living, it is still a time to stay asleep for those who are in the world of the dead? In fact, the wind, which is so powerful to awaken everybody on its way, hardly can help but heave a sigh for the dead. 

A Caution

If you agree, then you may also interpret the poem as a word of caution for those who still delay in being active. As we are all to be dead at the end of our lives, we are to live every moment as the daylight sweeps in without any delay, for the moments and opportunities lost will never come back again as we embrace death as our final destiny. 

It would be great if you let me know if this discussion has been of any help or not. Till then, goodbye...