To Daffodils

Herrick primarily uses symbolism in his poem to illustrate the passing of time and the ephemerality of life; the sun is one such example. When it is described as “early-rising” (Line 3), readers imagine the bright, orange-yellow orb rising through the sky in its growing light and power. “Noon” (Line 4) implies that the sun has reached its peak, and according to the poem, an “early-rising” (Line 3) sun begins to lose its power and brightness by this point. The sun will fade and darken from this point forward. As the sun rises and reaches its noon position, it tracks time for all creation. The “hasting day” (Line 6) gives way to “the even-song” (Line 8). The light cannot last forever but rather gives way to darkness. All things eventually must come to an end. The symbol of the sun parallels the daffodils in that they too cycle through various stages of their time on earth, as does the mortality of any given individual. Yet, the sun also provides a glimmer of hope. While the day comes to an end and life is eventually snuffed out like a candle, there remains the knowledge that the sun will rise again tomorrow.