The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls Grade 7 · English Reader
Chapter 4 · A Poem

The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls

A weary traveller, a fading shoreline, and the sea's endless, indifferent rhythm

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Tec — The Education Consultancy | Grade 7 English Lesson & Worksheet

The tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveller hastens toward the town,
   And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Darkness settles on roofs and walls,
But the sea, the sea in the darkness calls;
The little waves, with their soft, white hands,
Efface the footprints in the sands,
   And the tide rises, the tide falls.

The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls
Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;
The day returns, but nevermore
Returns the traveller to the shore,
   And the tide rises, the tide falls.

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
About the Poet: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) was a celebrated American poet. He began publishing poems at the age of thirteen, and after finishing school and college, became a professor of Modern Languages at Harvard at the age of twenty-two. Seven years later, in 1836, he became a professor there, and by 1854, he gave up his teaching position entirely to devote all his time to writing poetry.

Vocabulary

twilight — the light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon
curlew — a large wading bird
efface — to erase a mark from a surface
hostler — a person employed to care for horses
hastens — moves quickly; hurries
steeds — horses
nevermore — never again
settles — comes to rest gradually over a surface

Worksheet — The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls

Comprehension · Vocabulary · Poetic Appreciation — Grade 7

Name:
Class:
Date:
Score:
A. Questions
1. What is the traveller doing as evening falls in the first stanza?
The traveller is hurrying (hastening) along the damp, brown sea-sands toward the town as twilight darkens.
2. What do the "little waves" do to the traveller's footprints in the second stanza?
The little waves, described as having "soft, white hands," efface (erase) the traveller's footprints in the sand.
3. What happens to the traveller by the time morning breaks in the third stanza?
The traveller never returns to the shore again — the day returns, but the traveller does not.
4. What line is repeated at the end of every stanza, and what effect does this repetition create?
"And the tide rises, the tide falls" is repeated at the end of each stanza, creating a steady, rhythmic reminder that the sea's motion continues endlessly, no matter what happens to the traveller.
B. Multiple Choice Questions
1.What bird's call is mentioned in the first stanza?
Swan
Curlew✓
Owl
Seagull
2.Where is the traveller hurrying towards?
The forest
The town✓
The mountains
A ship
3.What are the waves compared to when they erase the footprints?
Sharp claws
Soft, white hands✓
Heavy stones
Cold fingers
4.Who calls out to the horses in the morning?
The traveller
The hostler✓
A fisherman
A child
5.What happens to the traveller by the poem's final stanza?
He returns home safely
He becomes the hostler
He never returns to the shore✓
He builds a house by the sea
6.Who wrote "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls"?
Edgar Allan Poe
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow✓
Emily Dickinson
Eleanor Farjeon
C. True or False
  • 1. The poem is set beside the sea, at twilight.
    TrueFalse
  • 2. The traveller stops to rest on the beach overnight.
    TrueFalse
  • 3. The waves are described as erasing the traveller's footprints.
    TrueFalse
  • 4. The line "the tide rises, the tide falls" appears only once in the poem.
    TrueFalse
  • 5. The traveller returns safely to the shore the next morning.
    TrueFalse
  • 6. The sea's tide continues rising and falling regardless of what happens to the traveller.
    TrueFalse
D. Match the Words with Their Meanings
1. twilight → (c)
2. curlew → (a)
3. efface → (d)
4. hostler → (b)
5. steeds → (e)
a. a large wading bird
b. a person employed to care for horses
c. the light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon
d. to erase a mark from a surface
e. horses
E. Theme
1. What is the central theme of "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls"?
The poem explores the theme of nature's indifference to human life and the passage of time — the tide continues its endless rhythm regardless of the traveller's fate, suggesting that individual human lives are brief and temporary compared to nature's constant cycles.
2. How does the poem suggest that the traveller has died, without stating it directly?
By saying the traveller "nevermore" returns to the shore, even as the day returns and normal life continues around him, the poem quietly implies his death without ever stating it outright.
F. Figurative Language
1. "The little waves, with their soft, white hands." Identify the figure of speech used here and explain its effect.
This is personification — giving the waves human "hands" makes the sea feel gentle yet purposeful, as though it is deliberately, calmly wiping away all trace of the traveller's presence.
2. The line "And the tide rises, the tide falls" is repeated at the end of every stanza. What is this technique called, and what larger idea does it reinforce?
This is a refrain — its repetition reinforces the idea of nature's constant, unchanging rhythm continuing steadily on, regardless of the traveller's journey or fate.
3. The sea is described as "calling" in the darkness. What figure of speech is this, and what mood does it help create?
This is personification — describing the sea as "calling" gives it an almost eerie, watchful presence, contributing to the poem's quiet, mysterious, and slightly melancholic mood.
G. Critical Thinking
1. Why do you think the poet never directly says what happened to the traveller? What effect does this uncertainty have on the reader?
Open-ended — accept answers suggesting that leaving the traveller's fate unstated creates a quiet, haunting mystery, allowing the reader to sense loss without being told directly, which can feel more powerful and thought-provoking.
2. Do you find the poem's message about nature's indifference comforting, unsettling, or both? Explain your view.
Open-ended — accept a reasoned personal response either way, as long as it is supported with reference to the poem's calm yet melancholic tone and its central idea of nature's constant, unaffected rhythm.
Tec Tec — The Education Consultancy | Grade 7 English Lesson & Worksheet