Tide Rises, the Tide Falls, The Analysis

The tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveler hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
Darkness settles on roofs and walls,
But the sea, the sea in darkness calls;
The little waves, with their soft, white hands
Efface the footprints in the sands,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls
Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;
The day returns, but nevermore
Returns the traveler to the shore.
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

.: :.

My english teacher was explaining this poem last semester. This poem somewhat reflects Longfellow's life. He started by writing "A Psalm of Life" which he wrote after the death of his wife Mary Potts. He believes that life doesn't end at the grave, but that there is more after death.
Just like that, "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls" is supposed to be somewhat about the previous poem. But he is sort of in a better mood. It's supposed to be people leaving footprints on our hearts and in our minds. But we should move on and not mourn the loss forever.

| Posted on 2008-04-02 | by a guest

.: Analysis :.

This poem was written to show that Nature will always overpower Mankind. No mater what a Man does he/she cannot beat or overpower Nature. Nature has the strength to control time while Man cannot control it. The tone highlights failure. Diction is all failure like. And also there is personification. The waves have hands? how? why? Is Nature the new Man? This Limerick shows that Nature has the power not Mankind...

| Posted on 2008-03-18 | by a guest

.: thoughts.. :.

The tide is the ceaseless cycle of life and death..the sea effacing the footsteps is another metaphor for nature everlasting man's existence. The sea and curlew calls are death's rollcall if you will. Longfellow once said: "Read me a simple poem..from a humbler poet"-The Day is Done...some people read way too much into things..Longfellow certainly isn't that cryptic of a writer...his work rides on the haunches of beauty and romance..thats it!

| Posted on 2008-02-15 | by a guest

.: Analysis :.

The Poem signifies how the traveller apears to make one final request or sealing one final loose end before turning his back to the place and moves on.

| Posted on 2008-01-29 | by a guest

.: Analysis :.

The Poem signifies how the traveller apears to make one final request or sealing one final loose end before turning his back to the place and moves on.

| Posted on 2008-01-29 | by a guest

.: :.

I agree that this is symbolic of death. I think that this poem is a waste of time and good talent. Although it has excelent imagery, for my project i have to do for school, this is the best choice. I certainly dont think that this is a great choice, but it is my only choice.


| Posted on 2007-12-05 | by a guest

.: Analytical Truth :.

This poem is referring to life continuing after you die, but the comparisons he has given changes the subject of the matter. Not only is the point given an opinion, but moreover the fact that it is radical to think he is giving subliminal messages in such poetry that defies sense and truth that nature overcomes us when we die. To me, the poem is not just one of those rhyme time dabbles, but more like a progression that speaks not communist, but archaic symbolism.

| Posted on 2007-11-30 | by a guest

.: olo :.

tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveler hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
Darkness settles on roofs and walls,
But the sea, the sea in darkness calls;
The little waves, with their soft, white hands
Efface the footprints in the sands,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls
Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;
The day returns, but nevermore
Returns the traveler to the shore.
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

| Posted on 2007-11-26 | by a guest

.: analysis :.

In the poem, the tide rises, the tide falls, there are themes in the poem.
there are many themes in the poem.
in the poem, the tide rises, the tide falls, there are themes in the poem.
there are many themes in the poin the poem, the tide rises, the tide falls, there are themes in the poem.
there are many themes in the poem.em.


| Posted on 2007-11-26 | by a guest

.: analysis :.

The tide rising and falling is pretty much the progression of life. The first stanza is the traveler dying. The dark scenery adds to the effect that the traveler is dying. The curlew also adds to that effect because it is a bird that usually comes out at night. The ocean my be used to symbolize that the traveler has come to peace with death and realizes that he will eventually have to die.
The second stanza is what happens after death. The footprints being washed away by the waves symbolizes that you may be forgotten after death.
The third stanza symbolizes that life does continue even if you are not around to see it....the tide will continue to rise and fall just like life will go on and people may die along the way.

| Posted on 2007-06-03 | by a guest

.: :.

There are places, as Longfellow would have been aware, where it is only possible to cross an inlet at low tide.

In the first Stanza the traveller is hastening toward the town. In his mind the reason for his journey is vitally important and, consequently, worth the risk of racing the tide to reach the other side. It is obvious that he loses this race and the tide reaches him before he attains his important goal.

There are several themes here. The most obvious of which is that of man pitting himself against nature. In this case the man loses. The Tide rises and the tide falls is an obvious indication that nature itself will overcome everything that man tries to do to overcome it. The tide will keep rising and falling and the traveller is forgotten.

The second message is, of course, about the futility of our own existence. In the grand scheme of things, the one life of the traveller, which can be seen as an echo of our own, is subsumed by the power of nature, represented by the tide,and more importantly by the power of time. The tide in this case is also a representation of time as it is relentless in its riding and falling, marking the days and unceasing.

The final theme, linked to the one above, is about our actions. The traveller is certain that the thing that he has to do or the message that he has to take is important and worth the risk of trying to beat the tide, or trying to beat nature, or trying to beat time. His deed is worth more than all of these to him, but the tide and time wash him and his deed away, just as time can render all of our individual actions null and void.

Some people have suggested that the poem is about Carpe Diem. That you need to do things now, before it is too late. It seems that the traveller is doing just that, rushing headlong into the action and yet he is lost, the memory of him is forgotten and his deed, for all of its importance is forgotten like the footprints in the sand.

It seems that Longfellow is painting a very bleak picture. Whatever we do, time and tide will wash away the memory of ourselves and our actions.

In the last verse the traveller is compared to the hostler, looking after the horses. The horses are restless, suggesting that, hd the traveller arrived with his message then they would have been needed. The hostler calms them. He is the voice of security and the voice of consistency. His appearance in the poem is a direct contrast to the impetuosity of the traveller as he is the only other human that is mentioned.

The message of Longfellow would seem to be that the hostler, with his calming influence and his slow and steady approach will have more impact on life and history than the traveller. The one, who fights against time and tide and loses, will be forgotten long before the other, that moves with the tide and accepts nature for what it is.

The tide rising and falling, contrasts, or is just the opposite of man, in that it is a constant, like time. Time marches on. This is nature.
Whereas, Man, has a time limit here on earth.
Man will die. Man can keep coming to the tide, for every day of his entire life. The only difference would be that the man is only older, and eventually, must die, and cease to come. The tide is anew. Man will die, but the tide will continue to rise and fall, whether he is alive to see it, or not. The tide is forever young, while man is forever older. Man has a time limit, while tide and time have none.

This poem illustrates a theme of death by using the ocean as a symbol of live and the town as a symbol of death. The is an overall progression that the stanzas go through. The first stanza is about the actual death of the traveler. The second stanza is about what happens after is death. The third stanza is about how life goes on even if someone dies. The tone of the poem is very accepting and calm. The author does this by using words that relate to the ocean, which most people associate with serenity and tranquility. This tone and use of words means that the author is ready to understand that he is going to die one day or another and that it is something that he cannot avoid.
This poem conveys a general message about death. The author associates darkness with death, ocean with life, and light with heaven. He is basically saying that once a person reaches death, sometimes their legacy is forgotten, but no matter what they will go to heaven (or hell) and never return to life. It is also an indirect message that states that a person should do all they can in life; once life is gone it will never come back. They should be all they can be and do nothing to regret past actions. The author also shows that death is unavoidable, but that does not mean it must be feared. The rising and falling of the tides show that death is constant and forever and that a person cannot stop death from coming.

Invoking the elements of popular romanticism that was popular in many writers' works of the time period in which the poem was written, Longfellow portrays death as a fact of life,an inevitable occurence to be accepted, but not feared. The symbolic nature of the tides suggest that death, like the ocean, is ceaseless, and forever. Just as one cannot stop the tides of the ocean erasing their "footprints in the sands", or rather their existence in the world, one cannot stop death from claiming his/her life.


| Posted on 2007-03-18 | by a guest

.: Man Vs Nature :.

There are places, as Longfellow would have been aware, where it is only possible to cross an inlet at low tide.

In the first Stanza the traveller is hastening toward the town. In his mind the reason for his journey is vitally important and, consequently, worth the risk of racing the tide to reach the other side. It is obvious that he loses this race and the tide reaches him before he attains his important goal.

There are several themes here. The most obvious of which is that of man pitting himself against nature. In this case the man loses. The Tide rises and the tide falls is an obvious indication that nature itself will overcome everything that man tries to do to overcome it. The tide will keep rising and falling and the traveller is forgotten.

The second message is, of course, about the futility of our own existence. In the grand scheme of things, the one life of the traveller, which can be seen as an echo of our own, is subsumed by the power of nature, represented by the tide,and more importantly by the power of time. The tide in this case is also a representation of time as it is relentless in its riding and falling, marking the days and unceasing.

The final theme, linked to the one above, is about our actions. The traveller is certain that the thing that he has to do or the message that he has to take is important and worth the risk of trying to beat the tide, or trying to beat nature, or trying to beat time. His deed is worth more than all of these to him, but the tide and time wash him and his deed away, just as time can render all of our individual actions null and void.

Some people have suggested that the poem is about Carpe Diem. That you need to do things now, before it is too late. It seems that the traveller is doing just that, rushing headlong into the action and yet he is lost, the memory of him is forgotten and his deed, for all of its importance is forgotten like the footprints in the sand.

It seems that Longfellow is painting a very bleak picture. Whatever we do, time and tide will wash away the memory of ourselves and our actions.

In the last verse the traveller is compared to the hostler, looking after the horses. The horses are restless, suggesting that, hd the traveller arrived with his message then they would have been needed. The hostler calms them. He is the voice of security and the voice of consistency. His appearance in the poem is a direct contrast to the impetuosity of the traveller as he is the only other human that is mentioned.

The message of Longfellow would seem to be that the hostler, with his calming influence and his slow and steady approach will have more impact on life and history than the traveller. The one, who fights against time and tide and loses, will be forgotten long before the other, that moves with the tide and accepts nature for what it is.

| Posted on 2007-03-17 | by a guest

.: stupid :.

This poem shows Longfellow's belief in Marxism. I don't care what anyone says about it. Who cares if the tide rises or falls? I think Longfellow was communist. This poem could have been one of the leading contributors to the Red Scare after World War I.

| Posted on 2007-02-15 | by a guest

.: analysis :.

one thing with which i am concerned:
no one adresses the horses. "steeds"

is longfellow comparing the horses to people? i am confused.
i would think that because the hostler (horse worker) calms them. but i dont know.

| Posted on 2007-01-25 | by a guest

.: analysis :.

was there an original indentation to this poem? Because I read it in a certain text, and each line in the stanza was indented so that it looked like a wave. ie:

the tide rises, the tide falls,
the twilight darkens, the curlew calls:
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
the traveller hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
(the other two stanzas followed that pattern)...
i thought that added to the repetition of life/ the waves.

| Posted on 2007-01-25 | by a guest

.: Analysis :.

The tide rising and falling, contrasts, or is just the opposite of man, in that it is a constant, like time. Time marches on. This is nature.
Whereas, Man, has a time limit here on earth.
Man will die. Man can keep coming to the tide, for every day of his entire life. The only difference would be that the man is only older, and eventually, must die, and cease to come. The tide is anew. Man will die, but the tide will continue to rise and fall, whether he is alive to see it, or not. The tide is forever young, while man is forever older. Man has a time limit, while tide and time have none.


| Posted on 2006-08-14 | by Approved Guest

.: Analysis :.

The poem makes more sense when compared to his earlier poem, "A Psalm of Life, " which he wrote as a young man. In fact the poem is quite solemn in comparison as it portrays each person as making little difference on life as a whole. In a Psalm of life he states that we can in fact leave footprints on the sands of time. In this poem, however, he contradicts this by saying the footprints will be erased. In otherwords, we will not leave much of a mark on human society, as we will be quickly forgotten. Life will go on whether we are in it or not. As a young man he portrays a certain sense of optimism whereas in this poem that is lost. Which poem is right? I guess they both are to an extent.

| Posted on 2006-04-10 | by Approved Guest

.: Somewhat of an Analysis :.

This poem illustrates a theme of death by using the ocean as a symbol of live and the town as a symbol of death. The is an overall progression that the stanzas go through. The first stanza is about the actual death of the traveler. The second stanza is about what happens after is death. The third stanza is about how life goes on even if someone dies. The tone of the poem is very accepting and calm. The author does this by using words that relate to the ocean, which most people associate with serenity and tranquility. This tone and use of words means that the author is ready to understand that he is going to die one day or another and that it is something that he cannot avoid.
This poem conveys a general message about death. The author associates darkness with death, ocean with life, and light with heaven. He is basically saying that once a person reaches death, sometimes their legacy is forgotten, but no matter what they will go to heaven (or hell) and never return to life. It is also an indirect message that states that a person should do all they can in life; once life is gone it will never come back. They should be all they can be and do nothing to regret past actions. The author also shows that death is unavoidable, but that does not mean it must be feared. The rising and falling of the tides show that death is constant and forever and that a person cannot stop death from coming.

| Posted on 2006-01-23 | by Approved Guest

.: Analysis :.

Invoking the elements of popular romanticism that was popular in many writers' works of the time period in which the poem was written, Longfellow portrays death as a fact of life,an inevitable occurence to be accepted, but not feared. The symbolic nature of the tides suggest that death, like the ocean, is ceaseless, and forever. Just as one cannot stop the tides of the ocean erasing their "footprints in the sands", or rather their existence in the world, one cannot stop death from claiming his/her life.

| Posted on 2005-11-29 | by Approved Guest

.: :.

tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveler hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
Darkness settles on roofs and walls,
But the sea, the sea in darkness calls;
The little waves, with their soft, white hands
Efface the footprints in the sands,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls
Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;
The day returns, but nevermore
Returns the traveler to the shore.
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

| Posted on 2004-11-21 | by Approved Guest