# Morning, Noon and Night explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by James Weldon Johnson.

## What happens

A lyrical poem tracing the speaker's memory of a beloved through the cycle of a day—from the blush of morning to the passion of noon and the sorrowful night—evoking themes of love, beauty, and loss.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Beauty

The poem celebrates romantic love and physical beauty, from the tender blush of morning to the passionate embrace of noon.

### Death and Mortality

The night brings memory's 'bitter blight' and darkness, suggesting the end of love or life itself.

## Character check-ins

### Love and Beauty

The beloved is the central figure, remembered through sensory details of blush, scent, touch, and tears.

## Key lines

> When morning shows her first faint flush, I think of the tender blush That crept so gently to your cheek When first my love I dared to speak

At dawn, I remember the shy blush on your face when I first confessed my love.

_The speaker associates morning with the beginning of their romance._

> When, in the ardent breath of noon, The roses with passion swoon; There steals upon me from the air The scent that lurked within your hair

At midday, the heat and fragrance of roses remind me of the scent of your hair.

_Noon evokes the intensity and sensuality of the relationship._

> When comes the night with beauteous skies, I think of your tear-dimmed eyes, Their mute entreaty that I stay, Although your lips sent me away

At night, I recall your tearful eyes begging me to stay, even as your words told me to leave.

_Night brings sorrowful memory of a painful farewell._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_13_se/chapters/morning-noon-and-night
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_13_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_13_se/chapters