Poetic Terms Dictionary
Poetic Form

Nocturne

From Latin nocturn: of the night. The musical nocturne (Field, Chopin) influenced the literary form; Symbolist poets cultivated it. The opposite of the aubade.

Definition

A poem evoking the mood, mystery, or beauty of night — typically meditative, melancholic, or romantically intense.

Example

Longfellow's 'Hymn to the Night': 'I heard the trailing garments of the Night / Sweep through her marble halls.'

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