At twilight, the speaker stands on shore recalling a moment just before when the sky was gold, the hill green, and the sea blue. Through the vines, the speaker watched a distant ship moving beyond the point. Now the light is fading, long black clouds are filling the sunset sky, and the stars have not yet appeared. The speaker wonders whether, at midnight, this longing to be aboard the ship will still be remembered. The poem creates a quiet, wistful mood. The bright colors of the earlier scene have drained away, mirroring a sense of having missed something. The ship feels like a chance to escape or a life the speaker wants but cannot reach. Twilight becomes the moment when the visible world fades and private desires rise.
Twilight — Summary
A little while ago that sky was gold, And green that hill, And blue the white-capped sea, And I stood watching through these vines a ship That moved, hull down, beyond, Beneath the point.
I wonder now, before the stars are out And long black clouds have filled the sunset sky, Will I remember this at midnight hour: How much I longed to be aboard that ship!