Cities And Thrones And Powers

The poem presents an intriguing exploration of the themes of time, impermanence, rebirth, and the human perception of mortality. The poet utilizes a rich contrast between man-made constructs such as "Cities and Thrones and Powers" and the natural world, embodied by flowers and the turning of the seasons. This contrast is used to underscore the transient nature of human life and achievements, which, in the grand scheme of time, stand "Almost as long as flowers, / Which daily die."

The poet employs a contemplative and somewhat melancholic tone, emphasizing the inevitability of decay and death, but also highlighting the cycle of rebirth and renewal, as seen in the lines, "But, as new buds put forth / To glad new men, / Out of the spent and unconsidered Earth / The Cities rise again." This cyclical structure of the poem echoes the natural and inevitable cycle of life and death, decay and renewal.

The daffodil is used as a metaphor and a personification of humans' bold yet limited perception of their existence. Despite experiencing only a fleeting existence, the daffodil (and, by extension, humans) perceives its "seven days' continuance, / To be perpetual." It's a poignant commentary on how we, like the daffodil, are often blind to the vastness of time and the ephemerality of our lives and achievements.

The poem concludes with a somewhat sobering, yet comforting reminder of the enduring nature of time itself, suggesting that even in death and decay, there exists a form of continuity and endurance: "That in our very death, / And burial sure, / Shadow to shadow, well persuaded, saith, / 'See how our works endure!'" The use of the phrase "Shadow to shadow" is a powerful literary device that emphasizes the cyclical nature of existence, and the enduring legacy that our lives and actions can have, even when we are gone.