The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The tide rising and falling represents life, so this means that life is like a wave, having ups and downs. In the poem, The tide rises, The tide falls, Henry Longfellow is talking about the ocean and a traveler that is making his way to town.

This poem was intended to represent life because no matter what happens, the tide will always rise and fall, washing away whatever was left behind. When he says the traveler never returns to the shore, he is saying that we shouldn't hold on to things that are going to bring us down. The main point of this poem is to just keep moving on because life is like the ocean, moving on.

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. 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. 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.