Sweet and Low by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote the poem "Sweet and Low". Tennyson wrote the poem in 1849 and delivered it to Emily Sellwood in November, asking her to choose which version to include in the revised 1850 edition of The Princess. This poem is essentially a lullaby meant to calm and soothe the readers. The woman who is the main character in this poem pines for her spouse. She begs the winds to bring her spouse back to her. It's clear that she's in pain. She must, however, maintain her composure because she is caring for an innocent youngster.
Sweet and Low Poem
Sweet and low, sweet and low, Wind of the western sea, Low, low, breathe and blow, Wind of the western sea! Over the rolling waters go, Come from the dying moon, and blow, Blow him again to me; While my little one, while my pretty one, sleeps.
Sleep and rest, sleep and rest,
Father will come to thee soon;
Rest, rest, on mother's breast,
Father will come to thee soon;
Father will come to his babe in the nest,
Silver sails all out of the west
Under the silver moon:
Sleep, my little one, sleep, my pretty one, sleep.
Summary of the Sweet and Low Poem
The terminology used by Tennyson in this poem is exceedingly basic. As the poem is intended to be a child's lullaby, and children can understand simple language, this lends it a realistic edge. "Lullaby" is a section of Alfred Lord Tennyson's blank-verse narrative poem "The Princess". The poem starts with lovely and low winds sweeping across the western sea. While holding her kid to her breast, a mother asks the breezes to return her precious to her. The mom tries to calm her kid in the second stanza. She assures the boy that his father will soon return. She tries to console the child by assuring him that his father would return 'under the silver moon', and that he should go to sleep.
The mother holding her kid for Sleep
About Poet
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson FRS was an English poet (6 August 1809 to 6 October 1892). He was Queen Victoria's Poet Laureate for much of her reign and is now one of the most popular British poets. Tennyson received the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge in 1829 for "Timbuktu", one of his early works. Poems Chiefly Lyrical, his first solo collection of poems, was released in 1830. The poems "Claribel" and "Mariana", which are still among Tennyson's most well-known works, were included in this collection. Despite the fact that some reviewers thought his poem was unduly emotional, it quickly became famous and brought Tennyson to the notice of well-known writers of the day, such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Conclusion
Alfred Lord Tennyson's poems that are lullabies are a wonderful form of poetry since it expresses its meaning in only a few lines. Tennyson uses vivid words to portray the mother's sentiments, as well as a lot of visual images. These poems are a brilliant example of how even the most basic words can communicate the most complex feelings.
FAQs on Bedtime Poem for Kids: Sweet and Low
1. What is the poem Sweet and Low's major theme?
This 16-line poem illustrates a mother's longing for her husband while simultaneously striving to persuade her little son that his father will soon return. On the other side, the child's father is no longer living. Tennyson uses natural elements to describe the father's death, such as the "dying moon" and the western direction.
2. Why does a mother keep her infant in her arms?
The mother, who is holding her child to her breast, is the narrator of the poem. Throughout the poem, she seeks to settle the child down so that he can sleep.
