Painterly rain-streaked window overlooking wet pavement, with a small cup and plant on the sill.

Original artwork, not a still

The Rainy Day ‧ 1842

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Nobody escapes hardship, the lines say: every life will have some rain, and some days will be gloomy and bleak. The tone is accepting rather than bitter, treating sorrow as an ordinary, expected part of living, as natural and unavoidable as weather.

Context reviewed

Share this quote