JAMB - Literature In English (1978 - No. 38)

New Year's Eve Midnight
Now the bells are tolling-
A year is dead.
And my heart is slowly beating
the Nunc Dimittis
to all my hopes and mute
yewnings of a year
and ghosts hover round
dream beyond dream

Dream beyond dream
mingling with the dying
bell-sounds fading
into memories
like rain drops
falling into a river.

And now the bells are chimming-
A year is born.
And my heart-bell is ringing
in dawn
But it's shrouded things i see
dimly stride
on heart-canopied paths
to a riverside
The mood of the above poem is

optimism

pessimism

optimism mixed with pessimism

much optimism qualified by a little pessimism

much pessimism lightened by a little optimism

Explanation

The poem "New Year's Eve Midnight" captures the transition from one year to another and reflects on past regrets and uncertain future hopes. Let's break down the mood using specific lines:

Pessimism (dominant tone):

"A year is dead."
- A stark, final statement—death metaphor conveys a sense of loss or failure.
"Nunc Dimittis to all my hopes..."
- Nunc Dimittis is a Latin hymn associated with death and letting go—indicates resignation or mourning for unfulfilled dreams.
"ghosts hover round / dream beyond dream"
- Evokes haunting memories and regrets.
"shrouded things I see / dimly stride"
- Suggests an uncertain, unclear future—shrouded, dimly seen, not hopeful.