On My First Son Analysis

Jonson: On My First Son
Although this is a sad poem, I think it holds a lot of truths and teachings. It also had a lot of literary worth because it is unique from the other poems that Jonson wrote. While most people wrote poems expressing lightheartedness and happiness, this poem has a more solemn feel to it. 

"On My First Son"

Farewell, though child of my right hand, and joy; My sin was too much hope of thee, loved boy. 
[The second I read this first line and realized what has happened, I felt sorry for Jonson. Dying at a young age now days would seem uncommon and would be devastating for one's family.]

Seven years thou wert lent to me, and I thee pay, Exacted by the fate, on the just day. 

[Seven-years-old, thats just too young. I don't know how I would handle things if my son or daughter passed away that young.]

O, could I lose all father now! 

[Right now he's expressing his sadness as a father.]

For why Will man lament the state he should envy? To have so soon 'scaped world's and flesh's rage, And, if no other misery, yet age? 

[His son is in a better place though. He describes that death is the escape from the world and the flesh. This world can't compare to heaven, but saying that death is escaping from the world and the flesh seems kind of negative. I think the world does have some awesome stuff that God has created and there are important things to do in life to make sure your life and others are spent with God after death. Saying that your escaping the world through death makes it seem like dying is something one should do as soon as possible. Everyone has a duty though to spread the gospel to others before they die so that when others pass away, they won't be "escaping" into hell, but into heaven. I hope that makes sense.]

Rest in soft peace, and asked, say, "Here doth lie Ben Jonson his best piece of poetry, For whose sake, henceforth, and all his vows be such As what he loves may never like too much."

[He says in the last line that he hopes that what he enjoys or loves, may not please him too much. It's kind of a weird statement. I think he's saying that he hopes that he never gets too attached to someone or something so that when it is gone, it doesn't hurt him as much.]


I definitely can't say that I enjoyed reading this poem. It is very pessimistic and talks about the death of someone, which shouldn't be something that anyone enjoys. This poem was different in the sense that it expressed a different emotion though. The fact that it was a sad poem made it stand out from the others, which is why I picked it. While it may not be a pleasant poem, it does have some valuable teachings that I feel are important. 


The poem shows how sad he was and his reaction to his son's death. He became very bitter as he expressed in the last line, that he vowed never to love something "too much" ever again (Horton 303). I need to learn from this that death happens, its inevitable. The bad thing to do is to get extremely angry or sad because whatever happens it is God's will. I've been struggling at this since I'm at that age where a lot of my older family members have passed away and mainly cancer has been the cause of that. I have a hard time coping with these things especially if I didn't take the initiative to witness to them. Most of my family are Buddhists and have no idea who Christ is. On the other hand, a lot of them have been witnessed too and heard the gospel before they passed away. I shouldn't be sad if that happens, since they are with God now. It's okay for me to be sad, but I should be happy they are in heaven too. 


Jonson, Ben. "On My First Son." British Literature. Ed. Ronald H. Horton. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2003. 303. Print