“In the afternoon, they came unto a land”

Answer

Explain with reference: “In the afternoon, they came unto a land / In which it seemed always afternoon.” 

These lines are from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s (1809-1892) famous poem “The Lotos-eaters,” published in 1832. Here, the poet is describing the land where Odysseus and his sailors arrive after their long journey. The lines show the first impression of this magical place.

The sailors come to this land in the afternoon. Afternoon is usually the time of day when people feel sleepy or tired. The light is soft, the sun is low, and everything feels slow and calm. The poet says that this land always feels like afternoon. This means it never changes. There is no morning or night, only a dream-like sleepy feeling all the time. So, the lines also show that the land is strange and different from the real world. Time seems to stop. The air is heavy and quiet. The people feel lazy and forget their duties.

With these lines, Tennyson is setting an atmosphere for the sailors where they will feel stuck. This afternoon-like feeling shows that the land makes people lose their energy and desire to work. It makes them want to rest forever. It is a land of escape and dreams, not of action and responsibility.

In fine, these lines create the sleepy and magical mood of the Lotos land. The poet uses the image of “always afternoon” to show a place where time stands still, and people forget their real lives. It is the beginning of the change in the sailors’ minds.