We die As your hours do, and dry

Explain the following:  

We die

As your hours do, and dry

Away,

Like to the summer’s rain;

Or as the pearls of morning’s dew,

Ne’er to be found again.

Robert Herrick’s (1591 – 1674) poem “To Daffodils” (1648) reflects on the shortness of life. The poet compares human life to the daffodils. Just like daffodils fade quickly, so do human lives. Herrick uses beautiful imagery to remind us of the fleeting nature of beauty, time, and existence. In these lines, the poet explains how both flowers and humans share the same fate.

The poet says that human lives are as short as the hours of daffodils. Just as the flowers bloom and fade away, human life also begins and ends quickly. Herrick compares human death to two delicate things from nature—summer rain and morning dew. He describes rain in summer, which dries away fast under the sun. Similarly, the morning dew twinkles brightly but disappears once the sun rises. Both are temporary and vanish quickly.

The poet emphasizes that, like these natural elements, humans also fade away. Once gone, they cannot return. The mention of “ne’er to be found again” shows the finality of death. It reflects how life is precious because it is short.

Through this imagery, Herrick highlights the fragility of life. He reminds us to value every moment. Just as we cannot hold onto the summer rain or morning dew, we cannot stop the passage of time or avoid death.

Herrick beautifully uses nature to show how everything, including humans, must come to an end. These lines urge us to accept life’s impermanence and love the time we have.