The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls By: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

1. Author

1.1. Born 1807 & died 1882

1.2. Wrote poems about noble sentiments that caught the spirit of his time.

1.3. His most popular works were Evageline, "The Courtship of Miles Standish, & "Paul Revere's Ride".

1.4. He taught European languages at Bowdoin College & Harvard College.

2. Literary Elements

2.1. Rhythm- the pattern beats created by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables, especially in poetry. Rhythm gives poetry a musical quality, can add emphasis to certain words and may help convey a poems meaning. Quote: " The tide rises, the tide falls, the twilight darkens, the curlew calls."

2.2. Personification- figure of speech in which an animal, and object, a force of nature, or an idea is given human characteristics. Quote: "The little waves, with their soft, white hands, efface the footprints in the sands."

2.3. Theme- the central message of a work of literature that readers can apply to life. A literary work may have more than one theme. Quote: " The day returns, but nevermore returns the travelor to the shore."

3. Facts

3.1. Nature continues even after human life is long over.

3.2. Footprints symbolizes evidence of life, and the tide washing them away symbolizes the human life is small in the grand scheme of the world.

3.3. The tide rises and the tide falls is repeated to show that the world continues long after human life is over.

4. Romantic Charcteristics

4.1. Interest in the common man and childhood

4.1.1. "The traveler hastens toward the town."

4.2. Strong senses, emotions, and feelings

4.2.1. "The day returns, but never more returns the traveler of the shore."

4.3. Awe of nature

4.3.1. "The tide rises the tide falls."

4.4. Celebration of the individual

4.4.1. "The little waves, with their soft, white hands, efface the footprints in the sands."

4.5. Importance of imagination

4.5.1. "Along the sea-sands damp and brown."