The Child Asleep by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A mother watches her baby sleep at her breast and briefly fears that his stillness resembles death. Reassured that he is only sleeping, she longs for the man she misses to watch beside her for the child's waking smile.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Childhood Poetry · 271 words
First lines
By Clotilde de Surville
Sweet babe! true portrait of thy father's face, / Sleep on the bosom that thy lips have pressed! / Sleep, little one; and closely, gently place / Thy drowsy eyelid on thy mother's breast. / Upon that tender eye, my little friend, / Soft sleep shall come, that cometh not to me! / I watch to see thee, nourish thee, defend; / 'T is sweet to watch for thee, alone for thee! / His arms fall down; sleep sits upon his brow; / His eye is closed; he sleeps, nor dreams of harm. / Wore not his cheek the apple's ruddy glow, / Would you not say he slept on Death's cold arm?
Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The mother's direct address to her baby moves through tenderness, sudden fear, relief, and longing in rhymed verse.
- Childhood Poetry — A sleeping infant's face, closed eye, and anticipated waking smile occupy the mother's attention.
Tags
motherhood · infant sleep · parental anxiety · dreams · longing
What this Textopian page supports
The Child Asleep is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Childhood Poetry
- Length: 271 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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