Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a charming, almost whimsical picture of flowers behaving like children. The opening lines establish a gentle, domestic scene: the day is ending, and a guest is being seen off. This sets a tone of quiet winding down, a natural pause before rest.
This domesticity is immediately mirrored in the flowers' actions. They are personified as putting on their "nightgowns," a sweet, childlike image that imbues the natural world with human-like routines. The contrast between the departing guest and the flowers preparing for sleep highlights a subtle shift in focus from human interaction to the quiet life of the garden.
The second stanza continues this playful comparison, showing the flowers waking up with the same exuberance as children. They "peep, and prance again" from their "hundred cribs," suggesting a multitude of blooms bursting forth with morning energy. This repetition of childlike behavior, first in sleep and then in waking, reinforces the central conceit of the poem.
The effectiveness lies in this sustained, gentle anthropomorphism. By framing the flowers' daily cycle through the lens of childhood, the lyrics create a sense of innocent wonder and a quiet appreciation for the simple, cyclical rhythms of nature. It's a delicate observation of life continuing, unseen and unhurried, long after human guests have gone.
View Artist