An Analysis of H. W. Longfellow’s Daybreak line by line: Fundamental Human Relationships with Nature and Their Consequences

An Analysis of H. W. Longfellow’s Daybreak line by line: Fundamental Human Relationships with Nature and Their Consequences

This poem describes the arrival of a wind that comes from the sea and brings the message of the arrival of a new day. Each stanza describes how the wind interacts with different elements of nature, encouraging them to wake up and embrace the new day.

"A wind came up out of the sea" - The poem begins with the wind coming from the sea, suggesting a new start and fresh energy.

"And said, "O mists, make room for me." - The wind tells the mists to make room for it, as if it is pushing away the foggy atmosphere of the night.

"It hailed the ships, and cried, "Sail on, Ye mariners, the night is gone." - The wind greets the ships and encourages the mariners to sail on, signaling the end of the night.

"And hurried landward far away, Crying, "Awake! it is the day." - The wind moves inland and calls for everyone to wake up and embrace the new day.

"It said unto the forest, "Shout! Hang all your leafy banners out!" - The wind addresses the forest and tells it to shout and display its leafy banners, symbolizing the forest's excitement for the new day.

"It touched the wood-bird's folded wing, And said, "O bird, awake and sing." - The wind touches the wing of a wood-bird and encourages it to wake up and sing, adding to the chorus of nature's music.

"And o'er the farms, "O chanticleer, Your clarion blow; the day is near." - The wind addresses the rooster on the farm, telling it to announce the arrival of the new day.

"It whispered to the fields of corn, "Bow down, and hail the coming morn." - The wind whispers to the cornfields, encouraging them to bow down and welcome the new day.

"It shouted through the belfry-tower, "Awake, O bell! proclaim the hour." - The wind calls out to the church bell, telling it to wake up and announce the new day.

"It crossed the churchyard with a sigh, And said, "Not yet! in quiet lie." - The wind crosses the churchyard with a sigh, acknowledging that not everyone has awakened yet and should rest in peace.

Overall the poem emphasizes the arrival of a new day with the wind as a messenger and the natural elements welcoming the day with enthusiasm.

Fundamental Human Relationships with Nature and Their Consequences

In this poem, the wind is described as a messenger that brings the message of the arrival of a new day. The wind interacts with different elements of nature, encouraging them to wake up and embrace the new day. The poem emphasizes the excitement of the natural elements as they welcome the new day, with the forest shouting and displaying its leafy banners, the birds singing, and the rooster announcing the arrival of the day.

This poem suggests that humans have a deep connection to nature, and that nature plays an important role in human life. The natural world is not only beautiful and peaceful, but it also provides a sense of continuity and stability that humans can rely on. The wind, as a messenger, brings the message of a new day and encourages the natural elements to embrace it.

The consequences of this fundamental human relationship with nature in this poem are that humans are able to find beauty, peace, and stability in nature, and it also encourages humans to appreciate and respect the power of nature. It also suggests that nature is cyclical and constant, which can bring comfort to humans, knowing that nature will always continue to exist and change. The wind, in this case, represents the change and the transition from night to day, and the natural elements are welcoming the change with enthusiasm. However, this relationship also implies that humans must acknowledge the power and uncontrollable aspects of nature, which can be a reminder of human smallness and insignificance in comparison to the vastness of nature.

Additionally, the human relationship with nature in this poem is one of obedience and submission. The wind commands different elements of nature to wake up and embrace the new day, and they comply with its commands. This suggests that humans have a certain degree of control over nature and its elements, which can have consequences in the form of manipulation and exploitation of natural resources.

Furthermore, the poem also highlights the difference in the way humans interact with nature, as the wind addresses different elements of nature in different ways. For example, it shouts through the belfry tower and calls for the bell to wake up and announce the hour, while it whispers to the fields of corn and asks them to bow down and hail the coming morn. This implies that some elements of nature are more closely connected to human life and culture, like the belfry tower and the rooster, while others, like the fields of corn, are more closely connected to the natural world.

In conclusion, this poem highlights the fundamental human relationship with nature as one of obedience and submission, where humans have a certain degree of control over nature and its elements, which can have consequences in the form of manipulation and exploitation of natural resources. It also implies that humans interact with different elements of nature in different ways, and some elements of nature are more closely connected to human life and culture, while others are more closely connected to the natural world.