the last lesson of the afternoon prom

The poet's mood is somber, reflective, and proud. Adjectives provide imagery to reflect this mood. In describing the schoolroom, Franz reflects on how little things have changed. During the forty years Hamel has spent the teaching, Daudet writes: "Only the desks and benches had been worn smooth; the walnut-trees in the garden were taller, and the hopvine he had planted himself twined about the windows to the roof." In this example of visual imagery, Daudet conveys the passage of time by detailing the incremental growth and wearing of the objects that fill out the setting.

I see no mention of prom in the poem.