Snowflakes by Henry Longfellow

"Snowflakes" by Henry Longfellow

Out of the bosom of the Air,

Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,

Over the woodlands brown and bare,

Over the harvest-fields forsaken,

Silent, and soft, and slow

Descends the snow.

Even as our cloudy fancies take

Suddenly shape in some divine expression,

Even as the troubled heart doth make

In the white countenance confession,

The troubled sky reveals

The grief it feels.

This is the poem of the air,

Slowly in silent syllables recorded;

This is the secret of despair,

Long in its cloudy bosom hoarded,

Now whispered and revealed

To wood and field.

Analysis

'Snow-flakes' by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a graceful and melodic poem that describes a snowfall as the sky sharing and shedding its grief. 'Snow-flakes' is a beautiful example of Longfellow's verse. It utilizes the gentle images and simple language that Longfellow, as a Fireside Poet, was known for.

In the first stanza of this poem, the speaker describes snow falling from the sky and landing on the empty woodland and the abandoned fields. Once dark and somewhat gloomy places are livened by the addition of this pure white snow. But, as the next two stanzas reveal, Longfellow does not see the snow as an entirely happy image.

In fact, the rest of the poem is devoted to comparing the sky letting snow fall to the ground to a human being in confession or announcing their grief to the world. The snow is, he concludes, “the secret of despair” that was long-hoarded in the sky’s “bosom” and now falls on field and wood.

STANZA ONE

In the first stanza of the poem, Longfellow immediately presents readers with a great example of personification. The poet describes the “Air” shaking out “her garments,” and bringing snow down upon the earth. Prior to the fall of the snow, the “woodlands” were “brown and bare” (an example of alliteration).

The poem has a distinct song-like quality that is evident in these first lines. It has seen through the poet’s use of literary devices like alliteration, perfect rhymes, and anaphora. The latter can be seen when the poet repeats the same word or phrase at the beginning of multiple lines. For example, “out,” which begins the first two lines, and “over,” which begins the third and fourth lines.

The first stanza creates a powerful atmosphere that is also relatively easy to imagine. While still feeling magical and special, the snowy woods are relatable and peaceful. The poet describes how the snow also falls on the “harvest fields forsaken.” The fields have been abandoned, perhaps for the season or perhaps forever, and are alive and made more beautiful by the addition of the pure white snow.

STANZA TWO

In the second stanza, the poet begins crafting a comparison between the “cloudy fancies” of one’s mind with the “grief” that the falling snow reveals. Utilising more examples of personification, the poet suggests that the “troubled sky” revealed grief by raining down snow upon the landscape. This occurs in the same way that the “troubled heart doth make” a “countenance confession.”

This stanza is more complicated than the one which preceded it, but it’s clear that the poet feels the importance of relating a particular series of feelings, grief, relief, and peace that can be seen in a human being’s heart and the falling snow.

STANZA THREE

In the final stanza, the poet seems to the speaking about the nature of the text itself. They know that this is the “poem of the air.” But, as the lines progress, it becomes clear that the “poem” that they’re talking about is the image of the snow falling. It has the same lyrical, beautiful qualities but is simply falling in “silent syllables.”

This example of alliteration is another instance of Longfellow imbuing this poem with a music-like quality. Examples continue in the final four lines as well.

The poet makes another declarative statement using the opening lines “this is the.” They note that the snow falling is “the secret of despair.” It is the secret emotion that the “cloudy bosom hoarded” up in the sky and which is now “whispered and revealed. The poet, and anyone watching, can see this grief falling from the sky and covering the once barren woodlands and fields.

STRUCTURE AND FORM

Snow-flakes’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a three-stanza poem that is divided into sets of six lines, known as sestets.

These lines follow a simple rhyme scheme of ABABCC, changing end sounds from stanza to stanza.

Throughout, the poet uses simple language that’s easy to read and understand while still managing to craft intricate and interesting examples of imagery.

LITERARY DEVICES

Personification: can be seen when the poet imbues a non-human feature of their poem with human characteristics. For example, “In the white countenance confession, / The troubled sky reveals / The grief it feels.”

Caesura: can be seen when the poet inserts a pause into the middle of a line of verse. For example, “Silent, and soft, and slow.”

Enjambment: occurs when the poet cuts off a line before its natural stopping point. For example, the transition between lines one and two of stanza two.

Imagery: can be seen with the poet uses especially effective examples and descriptions. For example, “Out of the bosom of the Air, / Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken.”