Life and Death in Longfellows The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls - Essay Example

ID Number 15 June Life and Death in Longfellow’s “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls” Many people do not like to be reminded of their mortality, but it is not always wise to ignore the briefness of human existence. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls” shows people that death is unavoidable, so people should not fear it. Instead, death must be seen as something natural and cyclical. Through rhyme scheme, tone, repetition, personification, and symbolism, the poem demonstrates the theme of life and death as a natural cycle that people must acknowledge and embrace, so that they can focus on meaningful living. The rhyme scheme of the poem follows the sound of “alls” which create a sense of naturalness to the sounds of the poem. The rhyme scheme sends the message that death is an expected destination for all creatures. The scheme is aabba aacca aadda. The scheme gives a natural tone to the poem because death is natural to living things. In addition, many of the words sound like “alls,” such as “falls,” “calls,” “stalls,” and “walls.” The impact is that these are all plural words, wherein every creature shares something similar- life and death. Living things live and die; it is natural and predictable. The speaker and the tone of the poem follow the straightforward, somewhat gloomy, detached tone of the poet, which fits the reality of brief human existence. The speaker is the narrator of what happens in the poem. He is not directly involved in the action, but more of an observer, such as when he says: “The traveller hastens toward the town” (Longfellow 4). He is not saying “I am hastening to the town,” and instead, he narrates someone who is. As an observer, he can claim to be objective and realistic on his assessment of human life. Moreover, the tone of the poem starts with a dark imagery of the ocean, until it changes into a fully detached tone. The first two lines say: “The tide rises, the tide falls,/The twilight darkens, the curlew calls” (Longfellow 1-2). The image of tide rising and falling sets the theme of nature, one that comes and goes in a natural way. The second line is gloomy because of the twilight that removes the light and the curlew that signifies the end of the day. Darkness is repeated in the sixth line, while the waves erase the footprints of the traveller in the ninth line. The tide has taken the traveller away. The last three lines provide a depressing ending. The poem says: “The day returns, but nevermore/Returns the traveller to the shore,/And the tide rises, the tide falls” (Longfellow 13-15). The traveller is gone for good; he must be dead. Despite his death, the tide rises and falls continuously. The tone is direct in saying that human life is short, while nature goes on, and this is the fact of life that people must accept. Personification, alliteration, and repetition further underscore the shortness of human life. The poem gives human characteristics to the ocean. It says: “But the sea, the sea in the darkness calls” (Longfellow 7). The sea is a person who calls in the darkness, as if it is the angel of death. Alliteration is also used in the poem. It says: “The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls/Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls” (Longfellow 11-12). “Steeds” and “Stamp” are alliteration that signify that every being has a rightful ending place that is stamped on their fates. Repetition seals the theme of life and death. The poem says four times: “the tide rises, the tide falls” (Longfellow 1,5,10,15). Life begins and ends like the tide of the ocean. Death cannot be reversed or stopped, so people must focus on living a meaningful life before it ends. The poem underlines the reality of human life. Nothing and no one can stop death. People must accept that one day they will die, or else, they will never be able to enjoy life’s brief length. Being more aware of death, they might be more sensible in living it in the most meaningful way. Reference Longfellow, H.W. (1900) “The tide rises, the tide falls.” [Online] Available from: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173917 [Accessed: 12th June 2013] Thoreau’s Advice: “Simplify, Simplify” Modern life is full of distractions that can prevent people from living a happy life. These distractions can refer to having a superficial and materialistic approach to life, or simply not having self-esteem. Henry Thoreau’s Walden advises people to simplify their lives, in order for them to truly live. His advice makes sense because I also think that I must make my life simpler, so that I can enjoy it more. I realized that I can simplify my life if I did more living by doing and connecting than living by sitting and disbelieving. For the past week, I have had bad experiences, mostly because I let myself be distracted by the outer noises of my life. The outer noise is technology. After counting the hours I spend on different activities, I realized that I spend too much time on social networks and Internet and mobiles games. These activities are eating too much time that I could have spent on connecting with people and myself. Another outer noise is media. Mainstream media have diverse stereotypes and prejudice that make me insecure at times. Why do I have to measure myself against social norms? Sometimes, I cannot help it though, when all these noises repeatedly tell me what I have to do in order to be happy and successful in life. Media and society say that money and social status are important to happiness. To be wealthy is to be happy. Is that all there is in life? Why cannot life be more like Walden, simple, but deeply affecting people’s lives? These questions serve to further understand the external noise that gives me sadness in my life. Inner noise is also problematic. I need to improve my self-confidence, so that I can increase my motivation in school. For instance, I know the answer to the teacher’s question, but instead of telling her, I told it to my classmate. She answered the question and got the praise of the teacher. I felt bad because it should have been me being complimented, but I lost the chance because I feared that I was wrong. Poor self-confidence is frustrating and demotivating. Another example of inner noise is lack of dedication to time management. Sometimes, I cannot say “no” to people who need me to help them or to be there for them. One of my friends got angry because I promised to help him with something. I failed to manage my time, which I could do better if only I learned to say no to some people and to emphasize my time management needs. Inner noise must also be removed and controlled, so that I can achieve a simple life. Despite these bad experiences, I had good experiences when I learned how to focus and to be aware of my actions. Focusing is important, especially in school and social relations. Whenever I focus on my studies, I get better grades, and I feel happier. Moreover, when I concentrate on what people say and give them attention, they respect me more. Also, being aware of my actions gives me good experiences. For instance, I did not need to buy my mother an expensive gift for her birthday to make her happy. I cleaned the whole house for a few days, and I made her “very happy and feeling lucky,” as she said. Material things are overrated in modern society. Actions and focus are essential to good experiences. Of all these activities, the most important are connecting with other people and me in meaningful ways. It does not always have to be face-to-face, but communication must be honest and stress on real issues that matter. I can do without too much games and focusing on outward appearances and material needs. I can simplify my life by doing things that matter to my mind, body, and soul. I should exercise more and engage in sports. I should read more and reflect on my life. I should build lasting relationships with people who truly care about me. I should not let my life revolve around money and physical appearances. Instead, I will focus on improving what is inside me. To do this, I must also stop judging my life and others. I will live the life in ways that Thoreau had, but not as hermit-like. I will keep my life real and simple, so that I can be happy and have greater peace of mind. Simplifying life has its glories. Reference Thoreau, H.D. (1845) Walden. [Online] Available from: http://thoreau.eserver.org/walden00.html [Accessed: 12th June 2013] Read More