# Rappel d'Amour explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Henry van Dyke Jr..

## What happens

A heartfelt plea for a lost love to return home, set against the backdrop of twilight and approaching night. The speaker acknowledges past folly in parting and promises forgiveness and enduring love, symbolized by a light left in the window each night.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Sacrifice

The poem centers on a lover's plea for reunion, emphasizing forgiveness and the willingness to give more despite past hurt.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The speaker who calls for the return of a loved one, expressing regret and enduring affection.

## Key lines

> Come home, my love, come home! The twilight is falling, The whippoorwill calling, The night is very near, And the darkness full of fear, Come home to my arms, come home!

Return to me, my beloved, as evening descends and the whippoorwill sings; the night approaches with its terrors, so seek the safety of my embrace.

_The speaker uses the imagery of twilight and the whippoorwill's call to evoke urgency and the comfort of home._

> Come home, dear love, come home! I’ve much to forgive you, And more yet to give you. I’ll put a little light In the window every night⁠— Come home to my arms, come home.

Return, my dear; I have many grievances to pardon but even more love to offer. Each night I will leave a beacon in the window, guiding you back to my embrace.

_The promise of forgiveness and the symbolic light in the window underscore the theme of enduring love and hope._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_10_se/chapters/rappel-d-amour
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_10_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_10_se/chapters