15+ Captivating Evening Poems

(15 to start, 30+ to explore)

Poems about evening capture the magic and tranquility of twilight. They paint lyrical portraits of fading light, gentle breezes, and quiet moments of reflection.

These verses evoke a sense of serenity and introspection, inviting readers to appreciate the beauty of the waning day. They can embrace the transition from day to night, hinting at the mysteries and possibilities that come with the evening’s embrace.

Poems about Evening Visual Representation

Poem Explorer Poetry Archives

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To Autumn

by John Keats

‘To Autumn’ stands as one of Keats’ most image-rich and skillful odes, offering a sumptuous description of the fall season.

The final stanza brings us into the time of evening. Keats describes the soft dying day, the colors in the sky, and the sounds that come as light begins to fade. This part of the poem feels slower and more reflective, showing how evening, like autumn, marks a peaceful end. It is not about darkness or fear, but about winding down gently. The setting sun and the quiet animals help bring out the mood of calm fading.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;

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Arcturus in Autumn

by Sara Teasdale

In Sara Teasdale’s ‘Arcturus in Autumn,’ the speaker navigates her feelings around mortality as she observes the spring star, Arcturus. The star’s setting in autumn mirror’s the speaker’s aging and eventual death.

The setting of 'Arcturus in Autumn' is evening, which is appropriate for the poem's themes of death and aging since evening is the transition from day to night. The speaker feels that she has reached the "autumn," and the evening, of her life because her youth is past.

When, in the gold October dusk, I saw you near to setting,

Arcturus, bringer of spring,

Lord of the summer nights, leaving us now in autumn,

Having no pity on our withering;

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Nurse’s Song

by William Blake

The poem ‘Nurse’s Song’ is a description of an unpretentious encounter between a nurse and a group of children who are playing on a hill.

Evening marks the turning point of the poem. It brings a soft change in mood as the sun begins to go down and the day draws to a close. The rising dew and fading light signal that time is passing, and it becomes the reason the nurse first asks the children to come home. This time of day sets a calm and peaceful tone, acting as a natural cue that life moves gently from play to rest.

When voices of children are heard on the green,

And laughing is heard on the hill,

My heart is at rest within my breast,

And everything else is still.

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A Hymn to the Evening

by Phillis Wheatley

‘A Hymn to the Evening’ by Phillis Wheatley describes a speaker’s desire to take on the glow of evening so that she may show her love for God.

The evening is the central focus of the poem. Wheatley presents the evening as a time of serenity, contemplation, and spiritual connection. The calmness and stillness associated with the evening create an atmosphere that inspires gratitude.

Soon as the sun forsook the eastern main

The pealing thunder shook the heav'nly plain;

Majestic grandeur! From the zephyr's wing,

Exhales the incense of the blooming spring.

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Evening Hawk

by Robert Penn Warren

‘Evening Hawk’ showcases Warren’s love for rich imagery and metaphysical symbolism. The hawk serves as a powerful vehicle for a series of revelations about our place in the universe.

Evening is the setting for 'Evening Hawk' and serves to highlight the speaker's transformation. As he sees the hawk's approach, his excitement turns to panic. He then imagines, more metaphorically, the evening of the world, which he feels has grown old.

His wing

Scythes down another day, his motion

Is that of the honed steel-edge, we hear

The crashless fall of stalks of Time.

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XIV

by Derek Walcott

‘XIV’ appears in Derek Walcott’s collection of poems “Midsummer”. This poem features the glorious days of Walcott’s childhood, especially how they gathered around his mother to hear stories at the stroke of eve.

Evening serves as the quiet, comforting backdrop in the poem, a time when the poet’s family would gather together. This setting brings a sense of calm and togetherness, as they listen to stories and share moments of closeness. The evenings became a special ritual that brought the family closer. This peaceful time of day is remembered with warmth, representing safety, reflection, and the bonds that formed his early life.

With the frenzy of an old snake shedding its skin,

the speckled road, scored with ruts, smelling of mold,

twisted on itself and reentered the forest

where the dasheen leaves thicken and folk stories begin.

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Clear and Gentle Stream

by Robert Bridges

‘Clear and Gentle Stream’ reminisces by a stream, blending nostalgia with the tranquil flow of cherished memories.

Evening plays a quiet but clear role in the mood of the poem. The speaker recalls how the deep bell would sound and the evening shadows would begin to appear. He connects this moment in the day with peace, stillness, and reflection. The soft changes that happen in the evening mirror his thoughts about aging and returning to old places. The mention of the moon and shade gives the time of day a calm and lasting effect.

Clear and gentle stream !

Known and loved so long,

That hast heard the song,

And the idle dream

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Father Returning Home

by Dilip Chitre

‘Father Returning Home’ by Dilip Chitre expresses the generational separation between a “father” and “children” through vivid visuals.

The poem takes place in the evening, when the day is winding down and everything feels slower and heavier. The setting adds to the tired and gloomy mood. The evening light, the wet clothes, and the quiet house all give the sense that life is fading, not just for the day, but for the man himself. The evening becomes a symbol of both time and emotion, showing how this part of the day brings more reflection than rest.

My father travels on the late evening train

Standing among silent commuters in the yellow light

Suburbs slide past his unseeing eyes

His shirt and pants are soggy and his black raincoat

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Full Moon and Little Frieda

by Ted Hughes

In ‘Full Moon and Little Frieda,’ Ted Hughes describes his daughter’s observations of the world around her, reflecting on nature and family.

The poem takes place in the evening, as the day slowly fades into night. Hughes describes the sights and sounds of this quiet time, from the cows returning home to the stillness of a bucket of water. The setting creates a peaceful and reflective mood. Evening is often seen as a time of transition, and in this poem, it mirrors the way childhood is slowly turning into something more mature.

A cool small evening shrunk to a dog bark and the clank of a bucket -

And you listening.

A spider's web, tense for the dew's touch.

#10

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Mountain Evening Song

by Jeffrey Robin

Jeffrey Robin’s ‘Mountain Evening Song’ is a celebration of the campfire. As he looks into its flames, the speaker experiences a profound connection with his companions and the natural world.

As suggested by the title, 'Mountain Evening Song' takes place in the evening, where the flames of the campfire serve as a primal ritual for the speaker and his friends. The time of "evening" is important because it suggests transformation—as the world goes from day to night, the speaker's relationship with his companions changes.

Sitting around the campfire

Lo! --- the campfire !

Know --- the campfire is known

#11

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Life is but a Dream

by Lewis Carroll

‘Life is but a Dream’ by Lewis Carroll is a poem that depicts the logic and illogic of dreams and life, suggesting that our entire lives are one long dream.

A boat, beneath a sunny sky

Lingering onward dreamily

In an evening of July--

#12

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A Blessing

by James Wright

‘A Blessing’ by James Wright describes Wright traveling with his friend and fellow poet Robert Bly and a moment where the two pulled off the highway to admire horses, just like in the text of the poem.

Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,

Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.

And the eyes of those two Indian ponies

Darken with kindness.

#13

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At Noon

by Elizabeth Jennings

‘At Noon’ reflects on human insignificance and God’s omnipotence, yearning for peace in the eternal cycle of creation.

I stare straight through the words and find again

A world that has no need of me

#14

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Dejection: An Ode

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The poem, ‘Dejection’, written on April 4, 1802, is Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s swan song lamenting the decline of creative imagination.

Well! If the Bard was weather-wise, who made

The grand old ballad of Sir Patrick Spence,

This night, so tranquil now, will not go hence

Unroused by winds, that ply a busier trade

#15

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Georgia Dusk

by Jean Toomer

Toomer lived through a time of seeing the effects slavery still had on the American people. The poem and title, ‘Georgia Dusk’, provides such a setting.

The sky, lazily disdaining to pursue

The setting sun, too indolent to hold

A lengthened tournament for flashing gold,

Passively darkens for night’s barbecue,

Home » Collection » Poems about Evening

15+ Captivating Evening Poems

(15 to start, 30+ to explore)

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15+ Captivating Evening Poems

(15 to start, 30+ to explore)

by John Keats

by Sara Teasdale

by William Blake

by Phillis Wheatley

by Robert Penn Warren

by Derek Walcott

by Robert Bridges

by Dilip Chitre

by Ted Hughes

by Jeffrey Robin

by Lewis Carroll

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