Introduction: “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow first appeared in 1860 as part of his poetry collection The Seaside and the Fireside. The poem captures a tender, domestic moment that occurs “between the dark and the daylight,” as the poet takes a pause from his work to be joyfully ambushed by his three daughters, Alice, Allegra, and Edith. The main ideas revolve around paternal love, the innocence of childhood, and the joy of family life, conveyed through vivid imagery and a playful tone. The poet compares his study to a fortress and his daughters to mischievous invaders—”O blue-eyed banditti”—whose “raid” ends not in conquest but in laughter and affection. Their “attack” symbolizes not only their love but the power of childhood to penetrate adult seriousness. The poem’s popularity lies in its emotional warmth and relatable depiction of domestic joy, made timeless through metaphors like “the dungeon in the round-tower of my heart,” which becomes a symbol of eternal, unconditional love.
Text: “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day’s occupations,
That is known as the Children’s Hour.
I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.
From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.
A whisper, and then a silence:
Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
To take me by surprise.
A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!
They climb up into my turret
O’er the arms and back of my chair;
If I try to escape, they surround me;
They seem to be everywhere.
They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!
Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti,
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old mustache as I am
Is not a match for you all!
I have you fast in my fortress,
And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.
And there will I keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away!
Annotations: “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
| Line | Simple Meaning | Literary Devices |
| Between the dark and the daylight, | The time between evening and nightfall. | Imagery, Alliteration (“dark and daylight”) |
| When the night is beginning to lower, | As night begins to fall. | Personification (“night lowering”) |
| Comes a pause in the day’s occupations, | There’s a break from daily work. | Alliteration (“pause”, “day”) |
| That is known as the Children’s Hour. | This special moment is called the Children’s Hour. | Symbolism (represents love/family time) |
| I hear in the chamber above me | He hears sounds from the room upstairs. | Auditory imagery |
| The patter of little feet, | He hears the light footsteps of children. | Onomatopoeia (“patter”), Imagery |
| The sound of a door that is opened, | A door opens somewhere above. | Auditory imagery |
| And voices soft and sweet. | The children’s voices are gentle and sweet. | Alliteration, Auditory imagery |
| From my study I see in the lamplight, | He sees from his study under a lamp’s glow. | Visual imagery |
| Descending the broad hall stair, | The children are coming down the stairs. | Imagery |
| Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra, | One daughter is serious, another is cheerful. | Contrast, Alliteration |
| And Edith with golden hair. | Edith is described as having golden hair. | Imagery, Epithet |
| A whisper, and then a silence: | They whisper, then fall silent. | Suspense, Auditory imagery |
| Yet I know by their merry eyes | He sees the mischief in their happy eyes. | Personification, Visual imagery |
| They are plotting and planning together | The children are scheming something fun. | Alliteration |
| To take me by surprise. | They are planning to surprise him. | Suspense |
| A sudden rush from the stairway, | They run down suddenly. | Alliteration, Imagery |
| A sudden raid from the hall! | They rush in like raiders. | Metaphor (raid), Alliteration |
| By three doors left unguarded | They sneak in through open doors. | Symbolism (unguarded = vulnerability/love) |
| They enter my castle wall! | They break into his “castle”—his study. | Metaphor, Hyperbole |
| They climb up into my turret | They climb onto his chair like a tower. | Metaphor |
| O’er the arms and back of my chair; | They clamber over his chair. | Archaic language (“O’er”), Imagery |
| If I try to escape, they surround me; | They don’t let him get away. | Playful tone, Imagery |
| They seem to be everywhere. | They’re all around him. | Hyperbole |
| They almost devour me with kisses, | They smother him with kisses. | Hyperbole, Imagery |
| Their arms about me entwine, | They hug him closely. | Imagery |
| Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen | He recalls a story about a bishop. | Allusion (legend of the Mouse-Tower) |
| In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine! | A legend of a bishop eaten by mice. | Allusion, Historical reference |
| Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti, | He calls the children playful robbers. | Metaphor, Apostrophe |
| Because you have scaled the wall, | Because they’ve invaded his “castle.” | Metaphor |
| Such an old mustache as I am | He jokes about being older and clever. | Metonymy (“mustache” = man), Humor |
| Is not a match for you all! | He’s pretending they’ve beaten him. | Irony, Humor |
| I have you fast in my fortress, | He turns the tables and “captures” them. | Reversal, Metaphor |
| And will not let you depart, | He won’t let them go. | Hyperbole |
| But put you down into the dungeon | He’ll keep them locked away in his heart. | Metaphor |
| In the round-tower of my heart. | His heart is like a strong tower holding them. | Extended metaphor, Symbolism |
| And there will I keep you forever, | He will always keep them close. | Hyperbole |
| Yes, forever and a day, | Even longer than forever. | Idiom, Hyperbole |
| Till the walls shall crumble to ruin, | Until everything fades away. | Imagery, Hyperbole |
| And moulder in dust away! | Until all turns to dust. | Alliteration, Finality, Imagery |
Literary And Poetic Devices: “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
| Device | Definition | Example from Poem | Explanation |
| Alliteration | Repetition of initial consonant sounds. | “Between the dark and the daylight” | Creates rhythm and draws attention to the imagery. |
| Allusion | A reference to a person, place, event, or story. | “Bishop of Bingen / In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!” | Refers to a medieval legend, adding depth and historical flavor. |
| Apostrophe | Addressing an absent or imaginary person or object. | “Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti,” | The poet directly addresses his children in a playful way. |
| Archaic Language | Use of old-fashioned words or expressions. | “O’er the arms and back of my chair;” | Adds a classic, fairy-tale tone. |
| Assonance | Repetition of vowel sounds within words. | “voices soft and sweet” | Creates musical quality and softness in tone. |
| Contrast | Placing different elements side-by-side to highlight differences. | “Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra” | Highlights distinct personalities of the daughters. |
| Emotive Language | Words used to evoke emotions. | “They almost devour me with kisses” | Evokes warmth and affection. |
| Enjambment | Continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond a line break. | “They are plotting and planning together / To take me by surprise.” | Maintains flow and builds suspense. |
| Extended Metaphor | A metaphor that continues throughout a series of lines. | The castle, fortress, dungeon, and round-tower imagery | Represents the father’s heart and love as a fortified place. |
| Humor | The quality of being amusing or playful. | “Such an old mustache as I am / Is not a match for you all!” | Adds a light-hearted, joking tone. |
| Hyperbole | Deliberate exaggeration for effect. | “They seem to be everywhere.” | Emphasizes how overwhelmed he feels by his daughters’ affection. |
| Imagery | Descriptive language that appeals to the senses. | “The patter of little feet” | Creates a vivid, sensory image of the children. |
| Irony | A contrast between expectation and reality. | “I have you fast in my fortress…” (reversing the “attack”) | The children “capture” him, yet he “captures” them emotionally. |
| Metaphor | A comparison without using “like” or “as”. | “They enter my castle wall!” | His study is compared to a castle, symbolizing protection or intimacy. |
| Metonymy | Substitution of a word with something closely related. | “Such an old mustache as I am” | “Mustache” refers humorously to the speaker himself. |
| Onomatopoeia | Words that imitate natural sounds. | “The patter of little feet” | Mimics the sound of children running. |
| Personification | Giving human traits to non-human things. | “When the night is beginning to lower” | Night is described as if it can move and lower. |
| Reversal | A literary twist where roles or expectations flip. | Children “invade” his space, then he captures them in his heart. | Enhances playfulness and emotional impact. |
| Symbolism | Using symbols to signify ideas. | “Dungeon in the round-tower of my heart.” | The heart is symbolized as a secure tower holding love. |
| Tone | The overall attitude or mood of the speaker. | Warm, playful, nostalgic | Expresses paternal love and joy in everyday family moments. |
Themes: “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
1. “The Children’s Hour” celebrates the deep bond of familial love.
At the heart of the poem lies the affectionate connection between the father and his daughters—Alice, Allegra, and Edith. Longfellow portrays their evening visits as a sacred, almost ritualistic time of joy and tenderness: “They almost devour me with kisses, / Their arms about me entwine.” The metaphor of the children storming his “castle” and being placed in the “round-tower of my heart” expresses how they occupy the most cherished part of his soul. This strong emotional tie is the poem’s foundation, emphasizing that parental love is enduring, warm, and central to the speaker’s life.
2. “The Children’s Hour” highlights the innocence and joy of childhood.
The poem captures a moment of unfiltered playfulness and delight as the children descend the stairs with excitement and energy. They are described vividly: “Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra, / And Edith with golden hair,” showing their individuality and youthful charm. The light footsteps, whispered giggles, and affectionate raid on their father transform a domestic scene into a fairytale of joy and spontaneity. The children’s carefree energy contrasts beautifully with the father’s stillness, emphasizing the freshness and brightness they bring into his life.
3. “The Children’s Hour” explores the idea of time and fleeting moments.
The poem is framed by a specific and transitional time of day—“Between the dark and the daylight”—which represents the fleeting nature of childhood and the brevity of tender moments. This twilight period serves as a metaphor for the brief window in life when children are young and deeply connected to their parents. By naming this time “the Children’s Hour,” Longfellow immortalizes it, suggesting its emotional weight far exceeds its brief duration. The poet’s wish to keep his children “forever and a day” in his heart speaks to the desire to preserve these moments before they vanish with time.
4. “The Children’s Hour” reveals the theme of protection and emotional security.
Though the children playfully attack their father’s “castle,” he reverses the metaphor by claiming them as his prisoners in the “dungeon in the round-tower of my heart.” This image is rich with symbolic meaning: it turns a place of captivity into one of sanctuary and permanence. The speaker wants to shield his daughters not only from harm but also from the passage of time, declaring, “And there will I keep you forever, / Yes, forever and a day.” The fortress becomes a symbol of emotional safety, where love offers both strength and protection.
Literary Theories and “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
| Literary Theory | Application to the Poem | Reference from Poem | Explanation |
| Psychoanalytic Theory | Focuses on unconscious desires, family bonds, and emotional attachment. | “They almost devour me with kisses… / In the round-tower of my heart.” | The poem reflects the father’s deep emotional connection and perhaps a subconscious desire to preserve his children’s love and innocence, revealing inner emotional landscapes. |
| Feminist Theory | Examines the roles and representation of female characters. | “Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra, / And Edith with golden hair.” | The daughters are portrayed with affection but within traditional, passive roles. A feminist lens may explore how they are idealized and confined to domestic, childlike qualities. |
| Formalism / New Criticism | Emphasizes the poem’s structure, form, and literary devices without outside context. | Use of metaphors: “They enter my castle wall!”, alliteration: “soft and sweet” | This theory would analyze the poem’s craftsmanship—its imagery, rhyme, metaphor, and tone—as a self-contained work of art. |
| Reader-Response Theory | Highlights how readers interpret the emotional and imaginative experience. | “Till the walls shall crumble to ruin, / And moulder in dust away!” | The emotional ending evokes responses of warmth, nostalgia, or melancholy. Reader-response theory values how individual readers connect to the poem’s familial themes. |
Critical Questions about “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
1. How does Longfellow’s use of military and fortress imagery in “The Children’s Hour” complicate the portrayal of fatherly love and domestic life?
In “The Children’s Hour”, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow employs military metaphors—such as “a sudden raid from the hall,” and the children scaling his “castle wall”—to depict his daughters’ playful approach. These images traditionally associated with violence and defense are instead transformed into symbols of affection and emotional surrender. This unexpected use of “battle” language within a loving domestic setting reflects the father’s playful vulnerability; he willingly lets down his defenses to allow his daughters to “invade” his space. Moreover, when he “captures” them and keeps them in the “dungeon in the round-tower of [his] heart,” it shifts from mock battle to metaphorical embrace, showing how love redefines traditional masculinity and protection within the family.
2. In what ways does “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow romanticize childhood, and what might be the implications of this idealization?
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Children’s Hour” paints childhood with an idealized brush, presenting his daughters as angelic and full of innocent joy. Descriptions like “Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra, / And Edith with golden hair” suggest not only physical beauty but also a moral or emotional purity. The children are further romanticized through fairy-tale imagery—such as their whispered plotting and storming the “castle”—which elevates them to characters in a loving fable. While this creates warmth and nostalgia, it may also oversimplify the complexity of childhood, reducing it to a brief, unchanging state of innocence. This perspective reflects the adult desire to preserve a perfect memory rather than engage with the full reality of growing children.
3. How does the structure and rhythm of “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow enhance its emotional tone and thematic content?
The structure of “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow—short, evenly metered stanzas with regular rhyme—creates a gentle, soothing cadence that mirrors the calm and reflective tone of the poem. This rhythmic pattern helps set the mood of tranquility and affection, especially in the opening lines: “Between the dark and the daylight, / When the night is beginning to lower.” The musical flow reflects the poet’s emotional state—a peaceful pause in the day where love and family take center stage. This rhythm not only enhances the poem’s readability but reinforces the themes of routine, comfort, and cherished moments in the domestic sphere. The steady pace evokes a lullaby-like effect, perfectly aligning with the scene of children nearing bedtime.
4. What role does memory and the desire to preserve moments play in “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and how is this reflected in the poem’s closing lines?
In “The Children’s Hour”, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow explores the tension between the fleeting nature of childhood and a parent’s desire to preserve its joy. The poem begins in the present moment—a peaceful break in the day—but as it progresses, it becomes increasingly nostalgic and reflective. The closing lines—“And there will I keep you forever, / Yes, forever and a day, / Till the walls shall crumble to ruin, / And moulder in dust away!”—transform the scene from playful reality into a timeless emotional vow. The “dungeon in the round-tower” of the speaker’s heart becomes a symbolic sanctuary, where the memory of his daughters will live eternally. Through these metaphors, Longfellow captures the universal longing of parents to hold onto love as time moves forward and children grow.
Literary Works Similar to “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden
– Like “The Children’s Hour”, this poem reflects on a father’s quiet, often unnoticed acts of love, emphasizing emotional depth and family bonds. - “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke
– This poem, similar to “The Children’s Hour”, explores a playful yet intense father-child relationship through physical closeness and shared moments. - “A Child’s Garden” by Rudyard Kipling
– This poem shares “The Children’s Hour”‘s theme of celebrating childhood wonder, imagination, and the joy children bring to daily life. - “The Toys” by Coventry Patmore
– Like “The Children’s Hour”, this poem reveals a father’s tenderness and inner emotion, especially in moments of reflection and regret.
Representative Quotations of “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
| Quotation | Context | Theoretical Perspective |
| “Between the dark and the daylight, / When the night is beginning to lower” | Sets a transitional, reflective mood at twilight—the quiet pause before bedtime. | Formalism – Highlights structure, mood, and rhythm that establish tone. |
| “That is known as the Children’s Hour.” | Introduces the special time of day devoted to the children. | Reader-Response – Evokes warmth and personal nostalgia in the reader. |
| “I hear in the chamber above me / The patter of little feet” | Begins the sensory description of the children’s approach. | Psychoanalytic – Connects to the father’s subconscious attachment and attentiveness. |
| “Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra, / And Edith with golden hair.” | Describes the daughters, emphasizing their individual personalities. | Feminist – Examines idealized portrayals of girls in traditional domestic roles. |
| “They are plotting and planning together / To take me by surprise.” | Shows the children scheming playfully, strengthening their bond. | Narrative Theory – Illustrates character development and plot within the poem. |
| “They enter my castle wall!” | Imagines his study as a fortress being invaded. | Metaphorical/Structuralist – Uses extended metaphor to reflect home as safe and meaningful space. |
| “They almost devour me with kisses” | A hyperbolic, affectionate image of the children’s love. | Psychoanalytic – Suggests deep emotional fulfillment and vulnerability. |
| “Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti” | Humorously calls the girls bandits, adding playfulness. | New Historicist – Reflects 19th-century paternal roles and romanticized childhood. |
| “Dungeon in the round-tower of my heart.” | Symbolizes his heart as a place of emotional captivity. | Symbolism – The heart is portrayed as a lasting emotional stronghold. |
| “Till the walls shall crumble to ruin, / And moulder in dust away!” | Expresses his desire to preserve this love even beyond time. | Existential/Temporal Theory – Confronts impermanence and human longing to preserve love. |
Suggested Readings: “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Poems & Other Writings (LOA# 118). Vol. 118. Library of America, 2000.
- STREET, ANNIE M. “HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW.” The Journal of Education, vol. 65, no. 4 (1614), 1907, pp. 91–92. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/42809853. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
- JONES, ADDISON L. “SUGGESTIVE COURSE IN MEMORY GEMS.” The Journal of Education, vol. 90, no. 13 (2249), 1919, pp. 342–43. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/42800654. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
- SHERWOOD, ADA SIMPSON. “LONGFELLOW’S DAY.” The Journal of Education, vol. 39, no. 7 (957), 1894, pp. 103–103. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44039363. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.