QUESTION: RESTATE THE SENTENCE "The little waves,with their soft white hands, Efface the footprints in the sands." IN EVERYDAY LANGUAGE. THE RESTATEMENT SHOULD EXPLAIN THE METAPHOR BEING USED. POEM FOLLOWS
The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


THE TIDE rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveller hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls. 5

Darkness settles on roofs and walls,
But the sea, the sea in the darkness calls;
The little waves, with their soft, white hands,
Efface the footprints in the sands,
And the tide rises, the tide falls. 10

The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls
Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;
The day returns, but nevermore
Returns the traveller to the shore,
And the tide rises, the tide falls. 15

A metaphor is a way of describing something as if it is something else - in this case the waves as white hands. So in what way are they hands? Perhaps in the way they move in over the sand (like fingers, scrabbling) definitely in the way they rub out the footprints. The question asks you to restate the sentence. You could just say 'The incoming sea rubs out the marks in the sand'. But that doesn't explain the metaphor, so it sin't enough. You have to add something to do that. Try it, post what you think and someone will help if you are struggling.

I am having the hardest time understanding the theme of the peom.
I also have to write a peom.

If you are looking for a theme, I suggest you look first at the line that occurs four times. What does the tidal cycle symbolize? Likewise the night / day cycle. The contrasting symbol is that of the traveller, who visits the shore but once, and departs the town the next day, never to return. His or her traces are quickly erased by the ongoing processes of nature.