The Rainy Day

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The day is cold, and dark and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;

Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

Analysis of
The Rainy Day

Themes:
• Emotions and Inner Struggles: “My life is
cold, and dark, and dreary” shows sadness
and struggle.
• Resilience and Hope: “Behind the clouds is
the sun still shining” symbolizes hope
beyond difficulties.
 • Isolation and Loneliness: “Be still, sad
heart! and cease repining” reflects
loneliness and sorrow.
• Change and Acceptance: “Into each life
some rain must fall” teaches acceptance of
life’s hardships.

Poetic Devices:
• Rhyme Scheme: AABB throughout the
poem (e.g., dreary/weary).
• Repetition: “cold and dark and dreary” is
repeated to emphasize sadness.
• Imagery: “The vine still clings to the
mouldering wall” creates a vivid picture.
• Metaphor: “Behind the clouds is the sun
still shining” compares hope to the sun
behind clouds.
• Personification: “The hopes of youth fall
thick in the blast” makes hopes act like
leaves falling.
• Alliteration: “Day is dark and dreary,” “Be
still, sad heart!” adds rhythm.
Messages:
• Life is Hard: Some days are gloomy and
difficult, just like the weather described.
• Time Changes Things: Like leaves falling
with the wind, time causes change in life.

Word Meanings:
• Weary: very tired
• Dreary: dull, sad, gloomy
• Mouldering: slowly decaying
• Cease: stop
• Repining: feeling sad or longing for
something lost

Summary:
• Stanza 1: The day is gloomy, rainy, and
windy, with leaves falling—symbolizing
sadness.
 • Stanza 2: The speaker feels their life is as
gloomy as the day and reflects sadly on lost
youth and dreams.
• Stanza 3: The poet encourages hope and
patience, reminding that everyone faces
tough times but better days will come.

Nature Trail

By Benjamin Zephaniah

At the bottom of my garden

There’s a hedgehog and a frog
And a lot of creepy-crawlies
Living underneath a log,
There’s a baby daddy long legs
And an easy-going snail
And a family of woodlice,
All are on my nature trail.

There are caterpillars waiting

For their time to come to fly,
There are worms turning the earth over
As ladybirds fly by,
Birds will visit, cats will visit
But they always chose their time
And I’ve even seen a fox visit
This wild garden of mine.

Squirrels come to nick my nuts

And busy bees come buzzing
And when the night time comes
Sometimes some dragonflies come humming,
My garden mice are very shy
And I’ve seen bats that growl
And in my garden I have seen
A very wise old owl.

My garden is a lively place

There’s always something happening,
There’s this constant search for food
And then there’s all that flowering,
When you have a garden
You will never be alone
And I believe we all deserve
A garden of our own.

Analysis of
Nature Trail
Themes:
• Cycles of Life: Caterpillars waiting to fly
and worms turning earth show natural
cycles.
• Nature and Wildlife: Celebrates diverse
animals and insects in the garden.
• Harmony and Coexistence: Animals visit
but “choose their time,” living peacefully
together.
• Beauty and Wonder: Bees buzzing,
squirrels stealing nuts, and night creatures
show nature’s liveliness.
• Observation and Appreciation: The poet
notices small details, appreciating nature’s
wonders.
• Solitude and Belonging: A garden offers
companionship and belonging; everyone
deserves one.

Poetic Devices:
• Imagery: Descriptions like “hedgehog and a
frog” paint clear pictures of the garden.
 • Alliteration: “Creepy-crawlies,” “baby
daddy long legs” adds rhythm and fun
sounds.
• Assonance: “Busy bees come buzzing”
enhances musical quality.
• Personification: “Birds will visit, cats will
visit” makes animals more relatable.

Messages:
• Encourages appreciation and connection to
nature.
• Highlights importance of observing small
wonders around us.
• Suggests personal connection and
ownership of nature through gardening.

Summary:
• Stanza 1: The garden is full of insects like
snails, woodlice, and spiders.
 • Stanza 2: Caterpillars, worms, ladybirds,
and visiting animals like birds and foxes
live there.
• Stanza 3: Squirrels steal nuts, bees buzz,
night creatures like bats and owls appear.
• Stanza 4: The garden is lively, full of
activity and food search, and offers
companionship and peace.

Daffodils

By William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be happy,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Analysis of
Daffodils

Themes:
• Connection with Nature: Nature provides
comfort and joy.
• Beauty of Small Moments: Even small
natural scenes can bring happiness.
• Power of Memory: Memories of nature
uplift the spirit during sad or quiet times.
 • Transformative Effect of Nature: Nature
can change mood from loneliness to joy.
• Timelessness of Beauty: Nature’s beauty
lasts forever and inspires continually.

Poetic Devices:
• Hyperbole: “Ten thousand I saw at a
glance” exaggerates to emphasize the vast
number of flowers.
• Symbolism: “Vacant or in pensive mood”
symbolizes deep reflection and the joy
nature brings.
• Enjambment: Lines flow smoothly without
pause, e.g., “They flash upon that inward
eye.”
• Repetition: “I gazed—and gazed”
emphasizes the speaker’s deep admiration.
• Metaphor: “I wandered lonely as a cloud”
compares speaker’s loneliness to a floating
cloud.
 • Personification: Daffodils “dancing” and
“tossing their heads” give flowers human
qualities.
• Imagery: Vivid descriptions of the
daffodils, the lake, and the stars help
visualize the scene.

Messages:
• Nature can bring happiness and calmness.
• Small moments in nature can have a
powerful impact.
• Memories of beautiful experiences can
comfort us.
• Nature’s beauty has a lasting and
transformative effect.

Summary:
• Stanza 1: The speaker, feeling lonely, sees a
large group of bright daffodils dancing in
the breeze.
• Stanza 2: The daffodils stretch endlessly
like stars in the sky, moving joyfully.
• Stanza 3: The daffodils’ happiness
surpasses that of the waves, making the
poet feel joyful.
• Stanza 4: When the speaker is in a quiet or
thoughtful mood, the memory of the
daffodils fills their heart with joy.