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By El Commendador Escriva by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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A speaker so exhausted by life's pain that they genuinely *wish* for death — but here's the cruel twist: if they sense death approaching and experience that relief, it could spark a desire to live once more.

Poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Core theme
Death
The PoemFull text

By El Commendador Escriva

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Come, O Death, so silent flying That unheard thy coming be, Lest the sweet delight of dying Bring life back again to me. For thy sure approach perceiving, In my constancy and pain I new life should win again, Thinking that I am not living. So to me, unconscious lying, All unknown thy coming be, Lest the sweet delight of dying Bring life back again to me. Unto him who finds thee hateful, Death, thou art inhuman pain; But to me, who dying gain, Life is but a task ungrateful. Come, then, with my wish complying, All unheard thy coming be, Lest the sweet delight of dying Bring life back again to me. IV

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

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§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A speaker so exhausted by life's pain that they genuinely *wish* for death — but here's the cruel twist: if they sense death approaching and experience that relief, it could spark a desire to live once more. So, they plead for death to come quietly and unexpectedly, catching them off guard before any flicker of hope can return.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Come, O Death, so silent flying / That unheard thy coming be,

    Editor's note

    The speaker starts with a straightforward request to Death, asking it to come without making any noise or giving any warning. The description of Death as "flying" suggests a bird-like, quick presence—contrasting with the slow, grim reaper image that typically comes to mind. The call for silence creates a key paradox in the poem: the speaker *desires* death but fears that *being aware* of its approach will destroy that desire.

  2. Lest the sweet delight of dying / Bring life back again to me.

    Editor's note

    This poem's great irony is simple: the thought of dying feels so sweet, almost like relief, that just the *anticipation* of it can reignite a will to live. The speaker finds themselves trapped — the cure and the disease are one and the same. These two lines act as a refrain, coming back at the end of each stanza to emphasize this paradox.

  3. For thy sure approach perceiving, / In my constancy and pain

    Editor's note

    The speaker clarifies the rationale behind the request. "Constancy" refers to a steadfast endurance of suffering — they've endured pain for so long that even a fleeting thought of escape could reset their emotional state. Recognizing death's approach might, ironically, provide them with something to feel, and feeling anything is perilously close to being alive once more.

  4. Unto him who finds thee hateful, / Death, thou art inhuman pain;

    Editor's note

    The speaker recognizes that death scares most people — for someone who cherishes life, death feels harsh and merciless. However, the speaker turns this idea on its head: they are not like most people. For them, the real cruelty lies elsewhere. Life is the true punishment, not death. This stanza highlights a stark contrast between the speaker's perspective and the typical human dread of dying.

  5. Come, then, with my wish complying, / All unheard thy coming be,

    Editor's note

    The final stanza circles back to the opening plea, but this time it carries more significance — we grasp *why* the silence is important. "With my wish complying" portrays Death almost like a servant receiving detailed directions. The refrain wraps up the poem just as it began, creating a circular, confined sensation that reflects the speaker's emotional turmoil.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone feels tired and resigned, yet it avoids melodrama. The speaker isn't shouting or crying — they're calmly presenting a logical case to Death, much like someone making a sensible request. Beneath the formal and measured language lies a quiet desperation, and the repeated phrases lend the poem a ritualistic, incantatory quality — as if repeating the words frequently enough could truly invoke what is being sought.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Silent / unheard death
Death's silence isn't merely a physical trait — it symbolizes the lack of hope. The speaker requires death to come *before* consciousness can acknowledge it, as consciousness is the true adversary. In this context, silence represents mercy.
The sweet delight of dying
This phrase highlights the poem's main paradox. Sweetness and delight typically evoke thoughts of pleasure and life, but in this case, they are linked to death. The speaker flips the usual values: death is seen as pleasure, while life is viewed as suffering.
New life / life back again
Life returning is seen as a threat rather than a gift. It reflects the harsh cycle of hope — how even a brief moment of relief can deceive a struggling person into wanting to carry on, only to confront the same pain once more.
The task ungrateful
Life described as an "ungrateful task" — work that gives nothing back — reflects a relationship with existence that feels entirely transactional and devoid of joy. The speaker no longer sees any meaning or reward in being alive.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Meter
trochaic tetrameter
Rhyme
ABAB CCBA ABAB DDBA ABAB

§07Historical context

Historical context

This poem is Longfellow's translation of a Spanish Renaissance lyric by Juan Escrivá (El Comendador Escrivá), a 15th-century poet and courtier from Valencia. Longfellow, who taught modern languages at Harvard, was one of the most active translators of European poetry in 19th-century America. His 1845 anthology *The Poets and Poetry of Europe* introduced many lesser-known Continental voices to English-speaking audiences, including this poem. The original Spanish *cancionero* tradition—formal courtly verse focused on themes of love, suffering, and death—provides the foundation for this lyric. While the idea of welcoming death as a release from lovesick anguish is a common theme in that tradition, Escrivá's version is notable for the clarity of its central paradox. Longfellow's translation maintains the refrain structure and the poem's concise, almost syllogistic reasoning.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

What is the poem actually about?

A speaker overwhelmed by suffering — probably due to unrequited or lost love, reminiscent of Spanish courtly poetry — longs for death. However, there's a twist: they're afraid that just the thought of death will feel so comforting that it will spark a desire to live once more, leading them to plead for death to arrive unexpectedly.

Did Longfellow write this poem himself?

No. Longfellow translated it from the Spanish of Juan Escrivá (El Comendador Escrivá), a 15th-century poet from Valencia. He was a skilled translator and used his role at Harvard to bring European poetry to American audiences. The poem was included in his 1845 anthology The Poets and Poetry of Europe.

What does the refrain mean — 'Lest the sweet delight of dying / Bring life back again to me'?

It's the poem's central paradox. The speaker thinks dying would feel incredibly sweet and relieving, to the point that if they sensed it approaching, that relief might spark their desire to live again — which is the last thing they want. So, they need death to come without any warning.

Is the speaker suicidal?

In today's clinical terms, the poem comes across as expressing a desire for death. However, within the framework of 15th-century Spanish courtly poetry, this was a standard literary stance: the lover, utterly devastated by unreturned affection, finds death more appealing than life. Readers have long debated whether this captures genuine emotion, poetic convention, or a mix of both.

Why does the speaker say life is 'a task ungrateful'?

"Ungrateful" in this context refers to feeling unrewarded—doing work that offers no return. The speaker has lost all sense of meaning, joy, or benefit from living. Life has become a burden without any reward, which is why death seems like the more appealing choice.

What is the poem's structure and form?

The poem consists of three stanzas, each containing eight lines, along with a four-line refrain that appears in all three. The rhyme scheme is consistent and well-structured, creating a song-like, almost mesmerizing effect. This repetition reflects the speaker's feeling of being stuck — revisiting the same thoughts repeatedly.

What does 'constancy and pain' mean in the second stanza?

"Constancy" refers to unwavering endurance — the speaker has persevered through prolonged suffering without faltering. This phrase indicates that their pain is not recent or abrupt but rather chronic and deeply ingrained. It’s exactly because they have endured for such a long time that even a small glimpse of relief could dangerously awaken them.

Why is Death addressed directly, as if it's a person?

This is known as apostrophe — directly addressing an abstract force or a missing entity. It was a common technique in Renaissance poetry, lending the poem an intimate, conversational tone. The speaker isn’t merely reflecting on death; they’re engaging with it, offering specific directions. This directness makes the despair feel more immediate and personal.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. "By El Commendador Escriva." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/by-el-commendador-escriva-henry-wadsworth-longfellow/.

APA

Longfellow, H. W. (n.d.). By el commendador escriva. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/by-el-commendador-escriva-henry-wadsworth-longfellow/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

Row A — Thesis

1 pt

In this lyric translated and adapted by Longfellow from the Spanish of Escriva, the speaker's refrain that death must arrive 'silent' and 'unheard' represents a precise logical argument rather than a plea born of despair: consciousness of …

  • Row B — Evidence + Commentary4 pts
  • Row C — Sophistication1 pt
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