The poem is divided into four sections, each with 11 verses; in the posthumously-published "O Livro de Cesário Verde" (1887), the sections are given titles that point to the passage of time as night sets in: "Vespers" ("Avé-Marias"), "After Dark" ("Noite Fechada"), "By Gaslight" ("Ao Gás"), and "The Dead Hours" ("Horas Mortas").