The Old Clock On The Repairs Longfellow Analysis
“The Old Clock on the Stairs”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Symbol and Personification
Mirth- amusement, especially expressed in laughter
Vicissitude- a change in circumstances; typically unpleasant or unexpected
Miser- a person who hoards wealth and spends as little money as possible
Horologe- a timepiece
Incessantly- without interruption; constantly In “The Old Clock on the Stairs” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow uses end rhyme and repetition to explore the connection between the things that remain the same and the things that change as time passes. Longfellow uses the image of an old clock to show that as life changes and people grow up, get married, and eventually die, time is the only thing that remains constant. Longfellow uses several examples of stages in a human …show more content…
Longfellow says the clock uses a “sorrowful voice” to pass judgement on all those who reach the halfway point in their life (14). The people are meant to feel as if they have not accomplished anything meaningful and are running out of time. In the next stanza, Longfellow provides imagery of a busy day where the time seems to go by fast and contrasts the busy day with a dark, silent night where time seems to pass slowly because no one accomplishes anything. Longfellow elaborates on this by saying “through the days of death and days of birth,” which means that no matter how a person spends their time, it will always begin with being born and end with dying (26). Although people can use their time with “free-hearted hospitality,” time will always go on and never stop because the “warning timepiece never ceased” (34, 38). Longfellow says that even if a person spends their time generously or in a good/beneficial way, time will still go on and never stop. However, he also compares people who do not do anything with their life to a “miser count[ing] his gold” (45). A miser will count his gold forever, unwilling to spend any of it, but eventually
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Symbol and Personification
Mirth- amusement, especially expressed in laughter
Vicissitude- a change in circumstances; typically unpleasant or unexpected
Miser- a person who hoards wealth and spends as little money as possible
Horologe- a timepiece
Incessantly- without interruption; constantly In “The Old Clock on the Stairs” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow uses end rhyme and repetition to explore the connection between the things that remain the same and the things that change as time passes. Longfellow uses the image of an old clock to show that as life changes and people grow up, get married, and eventually die, time is the only thing that remains constant. Longfellow uses several examples of stages in a human …show more content…
Longfellow says the clock uses a “sorrowful voice” to pass judgement on all those who reach the halfway point in their life (14). The people are meant to feel as if they have not accomplished anything meaningful and are running out of time. In the next stanza, Longfellow provides imagery of a busy day where the time seems to go by fast and contrasts the busy day with a dark, silent night where time seems to pass slowly because no one accomplishes anything. Longfellow elaborates on this by saying “through the days of death and days of birth,” which means that no matter how a person spends their time, it will always begin with being born and end with dying (26). Although people can use their time with “free-hearted hospitality,” time will always go on and never stop because the “warning timepiece never ceased” (34, 38). Longfellow says that even if a person spends their time generously or in a good/beneficial way, time will still go on and never stop. However, he also compares people who do not do anything with their life to a “miser count[ing] his gold” (45). A miser will count his gold forever, unwilling to spend any of it, but eventually