Daybreak by Longfellow, XI

1.Justify the title of the Poem "Daybreak"

  Ans. In the concluding part of "The Bells of San Blas", Longfellow writes -      

  "Out of the Shadows of night     

    The world rolls into light ;       

   It is daybreak everywhere."

This prophetic vision of the daybreak is the main theme of the poem "Daybreak".Daybreak means dawn when the night with its darkness gradually dwindles and the slanting ray of the sun from the eastern sky started to appear making everything glorious.The sea-wind, the harbinger of dawn, gives the impassioned call of awakening to each animate and inanimate objects of Nature. Rising up from the core of sea, it asked the mists to give him a passage to blow,the mariners to sail on, the forest to flutter its banners of foliage, the wood-bird to open its folded wings and sing, the chanticleer to give the clarion call, to cornfields to salute the the coming morn, the church bell to proclaim the hour of dawn and the dead buried in the churchyard to lie quietly. As a herald the sea-wind wakes up the living world to action to embrace the vivacity and newness of the morning sunshine deserting all kinds of drowsiness, nightlong inaction, age-old darkness of evil customs, greed, and injustice. It urges all the components of Nature to join the procession of celestial glory of a new day. A daybreak thus provides unexplored vista of new possibilities. So, the title relates itself to the theme and message of the poem and the short and suggestive title is a splendid choice.

2. Discuss, after Longfellow, the activities of the wind in the poem "Daybreak".

Or, What role does the wind play in announcing the beginning of the day? How is the final couplet different from the rest of the poem?

Ans. H.W. Longfellow in his splendid piece of work "Daybreak" has wonderfully explored the wind as a harbinger of dawn and a new era of regeneration - of reawakening as well. The jolly rush of  wind brings with itself the message of duty to all the creatures of Nature. It awakens the world from the nightlong inaction and slumber and announces the prelude of the day. Like Shelly's West-wind, the wind here too is the symbol of poet's revolutionary spirit. It prophesies that with the termination of the darkness and social stagnation, a reawakening - the zenith of hopes and aspirations is likely to come. Rising up from the core of sea, the sea-wind asked the mists to give him a passage to blow, the mariners to sail on, the forest to flutter its banners of foliage, the wood-bird to open its wing and sing profusely , the chanticleer to give the clarion call, to cornfields to salute the the coming morn, and the church bell to proclaim the hour of dawn. But while blowing across the graveyard the sea-wind with a sigh feels that the dead souls in graves should not be pestered. It tells the dead souls, "Not yet! in quiet lie". The poet has therefore enkindled all the components of Nature to join the procession of a celestial glory of a new day.  ▪️ The final couplet notes a difference in tone because here the wind does the reverse of the prior action. So when it crosses the cemetery it tones down its gait(pace) to control its sound to sigh for the dead and also tells them to enjoy the eternal sleep in the calmness of the grave as their Day of Judgement hasn't yet arrived. . It tells them, "Not yet, in quiet lie".  

3. Is there a shift of tone in the final couplet? Why is there a shift?

Or, What Biblical allusion has been referred to in the poem 'Daybreak'. 

Or, " It crossed the churchyard with a sigh" - Why did it sigh? What did it say while crossing and why? 

Ans. H.W. Longfellow in his splendid piece of work "Daybreak" has wonderfully presented the wind as a harbinger of dawn .Rising up from the core of sea the sea-wind delivers the message of a new dawn i.e. a new era to all animate and inanimate components. It incites all to wake up and start afresh. It remains emphatic, vigorous and chivalrous in tone till it shouts through the 'belfry-tower' to 'proclaim the hour'. But finally when it blows across the graveyard, it doesn't urge the dead to to wake up because they have already completed their mundane duties . Rather it sighs for the departed souls lying in their grave. This shift in tone in the final couplet is strikingly paramount.

▪️The poet has endowed the wind as a sensitive person sharing empathy for all. So when it crosses the cemetery it tones down its gait(pace) to control its sound to sigh for the dead and also tells them to enjoy the eternal sleep in the calmness of the grave. It tells them, "Not yet, in quiet lie". Here is an allusion to the Biblical doctrine of death and resurrection. According to this Christian belief the dead will come alive from their grave on the Day of Judgement.    

4.In the Poem Daybreak, from where did the wind come and when? Whom did it meet? What sound devices did Longfellow use in the Poem?

Ans. In the Poem "Daybreak", the wind came from the sea at dawn.

▪️ The sea-wind met the mists and the mariners at sea. On land, it visited the forests, the woodbird, the chanticleer, the fields of corns, the belfry-Tower, and the churchyard.

▪️Longfellow weaves out the texture of his poetry with a delicate touch of artistry and creates a sense of fabulous sensation with his deft use of the sound devices. In his poem "Daybreak", a number of sound devices is used to depict the wind as a messanger of dawn and a new era of regeneration - of reawakening as well. The wind whispers, cries, shouts, sighs and speaks like a human being. The singing of the bird, the crowing of the chanticleer and the ringing of the bell of the belfry tower are all associated with the emergence of the day. Longfellow favours the rhythm and sound devices to make his poem vibrant and lively. 

5.Give the central idea of the poem.

Ans. Longfellow in his poem 'Daybreak' tributes to the majesty of dawn and hopes to see a world throbbing with life. He personifies the wind by giving it the human ability to speak. With the advent of the dawn the wind rises out of the sea and crosses on to the land heralding the news of daybreak to all and sundry. It appears as the harbinger of hopes and aspirations. The wind awakens the world from the nightlong slumber and brings the message of duty to all the creatures and phenomenal objects of nature. It urges all to wake up to action. It impels the living world to follow the natural course of their daily life and perform their their respective duties. But the same wind greets the dead buried in the churchyard with a sigh telling them to lie quietly in eternal sleep as they have already completed their mundane duties suggesting that their Day of Judgement has not yet arrived. Thus, the central idea of the poem articulates the advent of a new dawn of renaissance and illumination through the revolutionary spirit of the wind.

  6.How is the wind personified in H.W. Longfellow's 'Daybreak'?

Ans. H.W. Longfellow in his poem Daybreak has endowed the wind with human attributes. The wind has been presented as a living force. In rhetoric, when inanimate objects (the wind) or abstractions are endowed with human qualities it is called personification. Longfellow presents the splendour of  dawn through words of its messanger, the sea-wind. "Daybreak" contains dialogue of the wind and it becomes alive with Longfellow's forte of using imagery. However, the use of imagery along with sound device also reinforces the personification. The wind whispers, cries, shouts, speaks, touches, and sighs  like a human being. Thus, the sea-wind pleads the mists to give him the passage to blow, hails the mariners to commence their voyage, impels the forest to display its leafy branches, touches the wood bird's folded wing, inovokes the chanticleer to blow his clarion, whispers to the fields of corn to bow and greet the coming morn, and shouts through the belfry tower to ring its bell to proclaim the hour. But while it blows across the churchyard, it shows its empathy that it sighs for the dead and tells them to lie quietly as their time to wake up hasn't yet arrived. Like a living person the wind can revel in joy and suffer in sorrow. The wind uses human language and different tone to wake up different components of Nature. This is how the  poet personifies the wind who wonderfully serves his purpose.