i have to analyze this poem by Matthew Arnold

Longing
by: Matthew Arnold

[Links] [Interpretations] [Discussion]




Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For so the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.

Come, as thou cam'st a thousand times,
A messenger from radiant climes,
And smile on thy new world, and be
As kind to others as to me!

Or, as thou never cam'st in sooth,
Come now, and let me dream it truth,
And part my hair, and kiss my brow,
And say, My love why sufferest thou?

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For so the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.

Does anyone know what this poem means?! or can you help me find the similies, metaphors, ryhme scheme, and others in this piece? what about the author.. what is his significance? i have to make a web page out of this and have hypertext to each of these thigns telling what they mean!!! HELPPPPPPPPPP PLEASE thank you very much!

[www.library.utoronto.ca];

might help you a bit further.

About Mattew Arnold: [www.victorianweb.org] />
You can also try to go to www.google.com and type his name between "..." and see what you can find on him.

As for an interpretation: the speaker is talking to a you. Is that person there? If not, is that person dead or somewhere else? Does the speaker feel positive about that person? Is the speaker happy?

Answer these questions and you'll be already halfway an interpretation. Then you can come back with more specific questions.

I'll give you a hint on the rhyme scheme: the first stanza is:
a
a
b
b

Why, oh why, don't the links work. Let's try again:

[www.library.utoronto.ca];

That one should have worked. Maybe it's this weird green background.

pam