16 pages • 32 minutes read
Robert HerrickTo Daffodils
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1665A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Sun
Herrick primarily uses symbolism in his poem to illustrate the passing of time and the ephemerality of life; the sun is one such example. When it is described as “early-rising” (Line 3), readers imagine the bright, orange-yellow orb rising through the sky in its growing light and power. “Noon” (Line 4) implies that the sun has reached its peak, and according to the poem, an “early-rising” (Line 3) sun begins to lose its power and brightness by this point. The sun will fade and darken from this point forward. As the sun rises and reaches its noon position, it tracks time for all creation. The “hasting day” (Line 6) gives way to “the even-song” (Line 8). The light cannot last forever but rather gives way to darkness. All things eventually must come to an end. The symbol of the sun parallels the daffodils in that they too cycle through various stages of their time on earth, as does the mortality of any given individual. Yet, the sun also provides a glimmer of hope. While the day comes to an end and life is eventually snuffed out like a candle, there remains the knowledge that the sun will rise again tomorrow.
Spring
When one considers the term “spring” (Line 12), images of new life, green grass, blossoming flowers, and sustaining rainfall may flicker through the mind. The season of spring is often associated with happiness and with youth. Herrick uses the reference to spring to symbolize the prime of life for any living entity—whether a flower or a human being. Speaking in the collective “we” (referencing all of humanity), the speaker says to the daffodils, “We have short time to stay, as you / We have as short a spring” (Lines 11-12). The period of prime energy and beauty is fleeting for any living creature. The repetition of “short” drives home this point. After this period of paragon existence is over, what follows is “growth” (Line 13) that eventually ends in “decay” (Line 13); these can presumably be associated with fall and winter in consideration of the seasonal metaphor. Tracing this honest yet morbid trajectory of existence using the season of spring as a starting point, Herrick urges readers to seize the time they have left and make the most of it, for time is indeed limited.
Rain & Dew
When paired with the symbols of the sun and the season of spring, the symbolic references to the rain and dew fit with these other life-giving entities. All work together to promote concepts of growth and new life. However, as with the sun and spring, Herrick uses these references to rain and dew to highlight the passing of time and waning of life. He mentions the “summer’s rain” (Line 18). Associations with summer rain include sustenance for crops and water to feed irrigation systems and wells. It is sustenance—for plants, for animals, for civilization. However, summer rain cannot last forever, and eventually it will “dry / Away” (Lines 16-17). Similarly, the “pearls of morning’s dew” (Line 19) represent the dawning of a new day full of seemingly endless possibilities, a new period of daylight and warmth. Yet, as the day progresses, the beads of dew disappear, “ne’er to be found again” (Line 20). As with the other symbols elaborated upon here, the rain and dew successfully represent the passage of time and life.
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