By Percy Bysshe Shelly
To Night
The night is being personified, the poetyearning
has a yearning and desire for the nightPoem: Lyrical
Personification: the night cannot walk, given
human quality
Swiftly walk o'er the western wave, He can’t wait for the night – for the sun to go
down
Alliteration: “W” sound Omission of the “v” in over
Spirit of Night!
“eastern cave” – where the sun rises
Out of the misty eastern cave,
Stanza1
suggests that the night hides in the cave
during the day and waits
The sound expresses the stretch and length
Assonance: “L” sound Where, all the long and lone daylight, of the day
“joy and fear” – Suggests that the night
Thou wovest dreams of joy and fear, makes Dreams and Nightmares while it waits
in the cave
Which make thee terrible and dear,— “terrible and dear” – contrasts to nightmares
and dreams”
Swift be thy flight! It must hurry and arrive quickly
{
Metaphor: blanket cover/ cloak Cloak that is worn – mantle
Wrap thy form in a mantle gray, The sky is dark like a cloak and the stars
covers, it’s a texture that covers and
sparkles – the nights clothes = romantic
Star-inwrought! image
Stanza 2
Hair cover = when night appears
Blind with thine hair the eyes of Day;
Day needs to be tired so that night can
come and appear
Kiss her until she be wearied out,
Then wander o'er city, and sea, and land,
Puts everyone to sleep, so its dark like a
Touching all with thine opiate wand— magic wand
Come, long-sought!