Poetry · Chapter
Sonnet: The Day Is Gone explained
The speaker mourns the passing of a day filled with sensory delights and the presence of a beloved, now faded into memory.
What happens
The speaker mourns the passing of a day filled with sensory delights and the presence of a beloved, now faded into memory. As evening falls, the speaker hopes that love, having observed a day of devotion, will grant restful sleep.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Loss
The poem vividly catalogues the beloved's physical attributes now lost, emphasizing the pain of separation at day's end.
Sorrow and Melancholy
A deep sense of melancholy pervades as the speaker reflects on the fleeting nature of beauty and joy.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“The day is gone, and all its sweets are gone!”
The day has ended, taking with it all the pleasures it held.
Opens the sonnet with a lament for the day's passing and the loss of its delights.
“Faded the flower and all its budded charms, Faded the sight of beauty from my eyes, Faded the shape of beauty from my arms, Faded the voice, warmth, whiteness, paradise!”
The beloved's beauty and presence have vanished from my sight, touch, and hearing, like a flower that has wilted.
Repetition of 'Faded' emphasizes the comprehensive loss of sensory and emotional connection.
“But, as I’ve read love’s missal through to-day, He’ll let me sleep, seeing I fast and pray.”
Because I have devoted the day to love as if reading a prayer book, love will grant me rest, recognizing my devotion.
Ends with a hopeful turn, using religious metaphor to suggest that faithful devotion will be rewarded with peace.