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Afternoon In February

This Page Includes: Full Verses of the Poem in Text. A Recording of the Poem (Audio). A Free PDF Download for reading purposes. Free Editable Google Doc Download if you wish to make changes or to personalise the poem. The page also includes what the poem is about, structure of poem and explaining the best parts.

Afternoon In February Poem Verses

The day is ending,
The night is descending;
The marsh is frozen,
The river dead.

Through clouds like ashes
The red sun flashes
On village windows
That glimmer red.

The snow recommences;
The buried fences
Mark no longer
The road o'er the plain;

While through the meadows,
Like fearful shadows,
Slowly passes
A funeral train.

The bell is pealing,
And every feeling
Within me responds
To the dismal knell;

Shadows are trailing,
My heart is bewailing
And tolling within
Like a funeral bell.

Audio Recording

Please note the audio recording may not exactly match the text version as 'Afternoon In February' can be tailored/personalised

Download Poem

Please note the audio recording may not exactly match the text version as 'Afternoon In February' can be tailored/personalised

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Personalised Poem

Would you like to customise this poem? You have the option to personalise it by accessing the provided link, which will direct you to Google Docs. From there, you can download the poem ‘Memories’ to your personal Google Docs account or Microsoft Word where you will be able to edit the poem however you want.

Personalised Poem

About the poem

The poem is describing the end of a day and the beginning of night. The setting is a wintry landscape with a frozen marsh and river. The red sun can be seen through the clouds and illuminates the red windows of a village. The snow starts falling again and there is a funeral procession passing through the meadows, adding to the sense of sadness and melancholy. The bell is tolling and the speaker's heart responds to the "dismal knell," as they feel weighed down with sorrow, like a funeral bell tolling within them.

The Structure of Poem

This poem consists of five quatrains, each with an ABAB rhyme scheme. The poem has a melancholic tone that reflects the ending of a day and the descent of night. The speaker describes the winter landscape and the snowfall, as well as the passing of a funeral train. The poem has a musical quality, with the use of repetition, alliteration, and assonance. The final lines of the poem bring the theme of mourning to a close, with the speaker's heart tolling "like a funeral bell."

Best Quote from Afternoon In February Poem

This is a quote from the poem Afternoon In February by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"The day is ending, The night is descending;"

This opening line captures the transition from day to night and sets a somber tone for the rest of the poem. It can be used as a standalone quote to convey a sense of finality and closure.