Question

What is the meaning of the first line of the poem?

• A. The line of the morning sun
• B. The line of the fading night
• C. The line of parting day
• D. The line of twilight shadows

Answer 1

Answer:

C. The line of parting day

• The meaning of this line is that the curfew bell is ringing, signaling the end of the day.

• The "knell" is the mournful sound of a bell, often associated with death, so it symbolizes the fading of daylight and the coming of night, a metaphor for the passage of time and the inevitability of death.

• The phrase "parting day" refers to the end of the day, or the departure of the light, suggesting a natural cycle of life and death.

• Gray uses this image to evoke a sense of reflection on the fleeting nature of time and the inevitable approach of death, themes that are central to the poem.