Critical appreciation of the poem To Daffodils

Answer

 Write a Critical appreciation of the poem “To Daffodils”.

“To Daffodils” (1648), a poem by 17th-century English poet Robert Herrick (15911674), reflects deeply on the fleeting nature of life. The poem is one of some 1200 poems that appeared in Herrick’s 1648 collection Hesperides. This poem addresses the beauty of daffodils and connects their short life with that of humans. Herrick uses this metaphor to emphasize how quickly life passes. He conveys a sense of both sadness and acceptance about this inevitable reality.

Critical Summary

The poem begins with the speaker lamenting how quickly the daffodils wither.

Fair Daffodils, we weep to see

You haste away so soon;

He describes the flowers as rushing toward their end, even though it is still morning and the day has not yet reached “noon.” In asking the flowers to “stay” until evening, the speaker expresses a wish for a longer time to enjoy their beauty. As the poem progresses, Herrick extends this idea to human life. The poet suggests that our time is as brief as the daffodils’ bloom.

As you, or anything.

We die

As your hours do, and dry

Away,

He compares human existence to a short spring that quickly fades. He compares human existence to the “summer’s rain” and “morning’s dew,” which vanishes quickly and never to be found again. The speaker, ultimately, accepts that everything must come to an end. Through this simple comparison, Herrick captures a universal truth about life’s shortness. He encourages us to appreciate the beauty around us before it fades.

Images and Metaphors: Herrick uses powerful imagery in “To Daffodils” to create a sense of life’s transience. The beautiful daffodils are symbols of youth and beauty, and their swift decay mirrors how quickly beautiful moments in life pass. “Summer’s rain” and “morning’s dew” are two vivid images that dry up quickly. These images imply how quickly beautiful things fade, just like human existence.

Literary Devices: Simile and Personification: The poem effectively uses similes to emphasize life’s brevity. Herrick writes,

We die

As your hours do, and dry

Away,

Here the poet compares human life directly to the short-lived hours of daffodils. In another simile, he compares life to “summer’s rain” and “pearls of morning’s dew,” which both disappear quickly, capturing the swift passage of time.

Personification also enriches the poem. Herrick personifies the sun. He writes,

As yet the early-rising sun

Has not attain’d his noon.

Here, the poet gives the sun a sense of human purpose. This personification reflects the speaker’s anxiety about reaching their own “noon” or peak in life. The poet also personifies the daffodils. He addresses the daffodils as if they could understand.

Form, Meter, Rhyme Scheme: To Daffodils consists of 20 lines divided into two stanzas, each with a distinct rhyme scheme: ABCBDDCEAE. This rhyme pattern gives the poem a gentle, rhythmic flow. The poem’s alternating meter—shifting between iambic tetrameter (four beats per line) and trimeter (three beats per line)—adds a musical quality. The shorter fifth and seventh lines in each stanza draw attention to life’s fleeting moments.

In essence, Robert Herrick delivers a thoughtful meditation on the passage of time in “To Daffodils.” He captures the beauty and sadness of life’s impermanence. Although the poem mourns the shortness of life, it also reminds us to cherish each moment.