The Night Has a Thousand Eyes by Francis William Bourdillon

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The Night Has A Thousand Eyes

The night has a thousand eyes,
And the day but one;
Yet the light of the bright world dies
With the dying sun.

The mind has a thousand eyes,
And the heart but one:
Yet the light of a whole life dies
When love is done. 

Francis William Bourdillon

Short Biography of Francis William Bourdillon

• Born in Runcorn, Cheshire
• Educated at Worcester College, Oxford.
• Tutored to the son of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
• Tutored for the University of Eastbourne
• Well-known in composing single short poem, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes.
• Other Publications:

a) Among The Flowers, And Other Poems (1878) 

b) Romance in Form of Cantefable (1921) 

c) Preludes and Romances (1908) 

d) Nephelé (1896) 

e)Aucassin and Nicolet (1887) 

f) The Early Editions of the Roman de la Rose (1906)

g) Russia Reborn (1917)


The Explanatory of the Poem:

After reading this poem, it is a very simple and beautiful poem with the uses of personifications, hyperbole and it's rhythm. The usage of the personification has enhance the attribution of the day, the world, the moon and the sun with human personalities. The usage of hyperbole gives me an impression of the the night has a thousand shiny stars in the sky, which shows the important keyword of "love" as the speaker's main focus of the poem. It is suggested that when love fades, and the speaker's world will be darkened and living in a meaningless way of life. The rhythm in the poem is a-b-a-b and it was rather pleasant to be read on. Despite of the restricted traditional structure for each stanza, it has created a very tidy and well-organized poem overall.