Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A MOTHER TO HER SICK CHILD by WILLIAM HENRY DAVIES

Poet Analysis

First Line: THOU CANST NOT UNDERSTAND MY WORDS
Last Line: NOR ANY ROCKING THEN.
Subject(s): MOTHERS; SICKNESS; ILLNESS;
Thou canst not understand my words
No love for me was meant:
The smile that lately crossed thy face
Was but an accident.

The music's thine, but mine the tears
That make thy lullaby;
To-day I'll rock thee into sleep,
To-morrow thou must die.

And when our babies sleep their last,
Like aged dames or men,
They need not mother's lullaby,
Nor any rocking then.



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