‘Next Day’ by Randall Jarrell is a confessional poem with a conversational tone that articulates the complex emotions of aging and change.
While 'Next Day' is not Randall Jarrell's best-known poems, it is one of his most critically acclaimed works. The poem comes off as plain and slightly ordinary. However, upon close examination, the listener can see how hard Jarrell worked to hide his exacting poetic devices, making the poem seem effortless and completely conversational.
Moving from Cheer to Joy, from Joy to All,
I take a box
And add it to my wild rice, my Cornish game hens.