A Summer Day By The Sea- Henry Longfellow

A Summer Day By The Sea

The sun is set; and in his latest beams
Yon little cloud of ashen gray and gold,
Slowly upon the amber air unrolled,
The falling mantle of the Prophet seems.
From the dim headlands many a light-house gleams,
The street-lamps of the ocean; and behold,
O'erhead the banners of the night unfold;
The day hath passed into the land of dreams.
O summer day beside the joyous sea!
O summer day so wonderful and white,
So full of gladness and so full of pain!
Forever and forever shalt thou be
To some the gravestone of a dead delight,
To some the landmark of a new domain.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


I've definitely been going through a Longfellow phase lately.
This reminds me of every summer of my childhood! We went out to Devil's Elbow and laid on the beach, climbed the cliffs, ran the sand dunes, and finished with Moe's and BJ's ice cream and salt water taffy. Summer days were just perfect with the beach so close. I loved looking out onto the horizon of the ocean, as if I was looking at eternity. This all sounds so idealistic and perhaps exaggerated, but that's exactly how I remember it. I love Longfellow's words, "O summer day beside the Joyous sea!... So full of gladness and so full of pain." I think these words somewhat encompass the entirety of life. The ocean alone holds so many metaphors! The bitterness of the salt, the hidden sea shells lurking under the sand, the slimy sea weed that embraces your toes... yet, it's so beautiful. I love being so utterly content that you can realize how surreal happiness is. Happiness is like sunshine; you can feel it and experience a portion, but you can never look at it, or comprehend it directly.