The poem explores the theme of exhaustion and longing for rest. It describes how flowers, worn out by the sun, droop and seek healing in the evening dew. Similarly, humans, overwhelmed by life's brightness, yearn for night to bring them solace. Death is personified as a kind friend who enfolds us with love. However, with the dawn of a new day, the flowers awaken refreshed, and the poem questions whether humans can also turn their tear-stained faces towards the new morning, seeking renewal.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1889 · Genre: Poetry, Romanticism, Philosophical Literature