Alas and alack, it is raining. Verily am I tired of rain. It makes me melancholic, and prone to lamentation. But rather than moan and complain as I am wont to do, I thought I’d let a far more talented poet moan and complain on my behalf. Take it away, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow!
THE RAINY DAY
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains,and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains,and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.
Here’s hoping that your life not be filled with too many dark and dreary days, and only just enough rain!
Beautiful poem. i enjoy it a lot
It is beautiful, isn’t it? There’s a quiet hopefulness about it that I really love.
I feel the same way sometimes about rain. Here’s hoping sunny skies are headed your way soon, Jane!
Thank you! I don’t mind a rainy day or two, but the endless stretches of rain just wear me down, especially when I’m already dealing with some kind of unfortunate life events. I’m hoping for a bit of sun!
It was a dark and stormy night… followed by days of rain, hail and lightning strikes. But snug indoors, kittens wrestled, puppies chewed slippers, cupcakes rose, were frosted, displayed and eaten. Books were devoured, tea sipped and our hearts bloomed with images of Narnia, the Shire and the Arabian Sands.
Oh, yes, yes, yes, please!
We are having just such a day, too – perfect choice!
One of the things I love about poetry is that it reminds you that you’re never alone – no matter what you feel, someone else has felt the same way, too!
Raining here today, so this poem is perfect. Longfellow tells it true, dreary being the operative word. However, thinking about the Raincity Librarian always cheers me up. May your lamentation cease immediately . . .
Why, thank you! I do tend to have a naturally sunny disposition, so even when life wears me down, I always spring back eventually.
We must be sharing similar weather. We’ve had rain and more rain until the creeks and rivers are overflowing. I do enjoy an occasional rainy day, but this is getting out of hand! I can relate to Longfellow’s sentiments. And reading it brought back sunny memories of when we visited his childhood home in Portland, Maine, long ago.
I definitely like a rainy day or too as well, but its the endless stretches of rain that just drag me down! And so, I cherish Longfellow’s reminder that the sun is still shining, even behind the clouds.
Oh man, does this sum up the weather in Boston today. Dreary as all get out! Let’s hope Henry is right about the sun possibly shining behind the clouds…someday!
We just have to keep on believing in those sunny days!
Well, you know that we differ because I love those dark and dreary days, and the damp ones, too. Sorry that you have so many, Jane. The poem however, is wonderful! Thanks!
This winter has been a bit of a hard one, with illness in the family, job stress and other less lovely things, so I think the rain just drags me down that little bit more this year. But, I’m going to take Longfellow’s advice, and remember that the sun still shines, even when you can’t see it!
What a lovely, rainy poem, Jane! Just spot on for this northwest region we call home! I have a “mouldering” rock wall with vines clinging to it and beautiful ferns growing out from the rocks and I absolutely love it. But you know, by now, that you and I differ on this issue (smile). Thank you for sharing… BTW, we had some sunshine this week and two days jumped into the 80s… now its 50s and raining.
Alas, I am poorly suited to this Pacific Northwest life, you’d think after 30 years here I’d have grown accustomed to it! I’ve been feeling a bit more melancholic due to some stressful life events, but Longfellow reminds me that the sun is always there, waiting to pop out, whether it’s the actual sun, or just happier times!
Go soak your brain in that picture of the Colorado sky that Linda B. shares today! That will lift your spirits for sure!
Just think how much more you appreciate the sun than those who see it almost every day of the year!
So true! Sometimes you don’t fully appreciate something until you’ve lost it for a while.
I’m thinking some unusual Florida thoughts today, so I’ll share some sunny thoughts with you as I admire your Longflowian diction. That’s a word, right?
Into all our lives rain must fall – and we’ve had a bunch of it here lately! I haven’t read this in such a long time – thanks for sharing!
I remember fondly and love “The Rainy Day” poem Jane, thanks for sharing it and cheering us all up, it’s good for a laugh! It’s been sunny here in Chicago, but quite chilly and we are due for some rain tonight and tomorrow.
A masterful complainer, that Longfellow. Wishing you sunshine, Jane!
True – some days do have to be dark and dreary! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com