Analysis of The Night Cometh

Annie Louisa Walker 1836 (Staffordshire) – 1907 (Bath, Somerset)



Work! for the night is coming;
Work! through the morning hours;
Work! while the dew is sparkling;
Work! 'mid the springing flowers;
Work! while the day grows brighter,
Under the glowing sun;
Work! for the night is coming,--
Night, when man's work is done.

Work! for the night is coming;
Work! through the sunny noon;
Fill the bright hours with labour,
Rest cometh sure and soon.
Give to each flying minute
Something to keep in store;
Work! for the night is coming,--
Night, when man works no more.

Work! for the night is coming;
Under the sunset skies,
While their bright tints are glowing,
Work! for the daylight flies;
Work! till the last beam fadeth,
Fadeth to shine no more;
Work! while the night is darkening,--
Night, when man's work is o'er.


Scheme AbabcdAd AexexfAf Agagxfac
Poetic Form
Metre 1101110 1101010 1101110 1101010 1101110 100101 1101110 111111 1101110 110101 1011011 110101 1111010 101101 1101110 111111 1101110 10011 1111110 11011 110111 11111 11011100 1111110
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 733
Words 137
Sentences 18
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 189
Words per stanza (avg) 44
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 28, 2023

42 sec read
90

Annie Louisa Walker

Anna (Annie) Louisa Walker was an English and Canadian teacher and author. She was the author of five novels and two collections of poetry, and edited an autobiography. Her poem "The Night Cometh" provides the text of the popular hymn "Work, for the night is coming". more…

All Annie Louisa Walker poems | Annie Louisa Walker Books

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