The Sleeping Child by Eugene Field
The poem describes a child sleeping peacefully, surrounded by angels who are watching over the child and protecting it from harm. The atmosphere is serene and calm, evoking a sense of innocence and vulnerability. The speaker seems to be in awe of the child's peaceful slumber, suggesting that even in sleep, the child is being cared for and protected by a higher power.
By Eugene Field · First published 1892 · Genre: Poetry, Lyrical, Elegy · 204 words
First lines
My baby slept -- how calm his rest, / As o'er his handsome face a smile / Like that of angel flitted, while / He lay so still upon my breast!
My baby slept -- his baby head / Lay all unkiss'd 'neath pall and shroud: / I did not weep or cry aloud -- / I only wished I, too, were dead!
My baby sleeps -- a tiny mound, / All covered by the little flowers, / Woos me in all my waking hours, / Down in the quiet burying-ground.
And when I sleep I seem to be / With baby in another land -- / I take his little baby hand -- / He smiles and sings sweet songs to me.
Similar titles
- Remembrance by Lord Byron
- Epitaph On A Child by Thomas Gray
- After by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- To A Poet That Died Young by Edna St Vincent Millay
- To One In Paradise by Edgar Allan Poe
- A Dirge by Madison Cawein
Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse, employing rhythm and imagery typical of poetry.
- Lyrical — The poem expresses deep personal emotions and reflections on loss and longing.
- Elegy — The themes of mourning and remembrance of a deceased child align with the characteristics of an elegy.
- Romanticism — The poem emphasizes emotion, nature, and the beauty of the child's innocence, common in Romantic literature.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · 19th Century · Childhood · Innocence · Death · Mourning · Grief · Loss · Sorrow · Melancholy · Nostalgia
What this Textopian page supports
The Sleeping Child is listed on Textopian as a poem by Eugene Field, dated 1892 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Eugene Field
- Date: 1892 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Lyrical, Elegy, Romanticism, Children's Literature
- Length: 204 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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