Skip to content
Storgy

The Annotated Edition

By Jean Reboul, the Baker of Nismes by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

Read aloud in ~2 minOpen reading mode →

An angel hovers above a baby's cradle, urging the little one to abandon the flawed, painful world and join it in heaven.

Poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Core theme
Death
The PoemFull text

By Jean Reboul, the Baker of Nismes

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

An angel with a radiant face, Above a cradle bent to look, Seemed his own image there to trace, As in the waters of a brook. "Dear child! who me resemblest so," It whispered, "come, O come with me! Happy together let us go, The earth unworthy is of thee! "Here none to perfect bliss attain; The soul in pleasure suffering lies; Joy hath an undertone of pain, And even the happiest hours their sighs. "Fear doth at every portal knock; Never a day serene and pure From the o'ershadowing tempest's shock Hath made the morrow's dawn secure. "What then, shall sorrows and shall fears Come to disturb so pure a brow? And with the bitterness of tears These eyes of azure troubled grow? "Ah no! into the fields of space, Away shalt thou escape with me; And Providence will grant thee grace Of all the days that were to be. "Let no one in thy dwelling cower, In sombre vestments draped and veiled; But let them welcome thy last hour, As thy first moments once they hailed. "Without a cloud be there each brow; There let the grave no shadow cast; When one is pure as thou art now, The fairest day is still the last." And waving wide his wings of white, The angel, at these words, had sped Towards the eternal realms of light!-- Poor mother! see, thy son is dead!

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

Study actions

Take the quizStudy sheet (PDF)

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

An angel hovers above a baby's cradle, urging the little one to abandon the flawed, painful world and join it in heaven. The angel explains that life is filled with fear, pain, and sorrow, insisting that such a pure soul should be spared from all of it. The poem concludes with a heart-wrenching moment: the angel departs, leaving the mother with her lifeless child.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. An angel with a radiant face, / Above a cradle bent to look,

    Editor's note

    We begin with a tender and peaceful scene — a glowing angel watching over a baby's cradle. The angel sees its own reflection in the child, highlighting the central idea: this infant's innocence makes it seem as though it already belongs in heaven.

  2. "Dear child! who me resemblest so," / It whispered, "come, O come with me!"

    Editor's note

    The angel starts speaking, looking directly at the baby. The whisper feels more personal than scary. The invitation — *come with me* — feels like a gift rather than a loss. The angel is essentially presenting death as a form of salvation.

  3. "Here none to perfect bliss attain; / The soul in pleasure suffering lies;"

    Editor's note

    This is the angel's first argument: earthly life is inherently flawed. Even happiness comes with hidden suffering. The line "the soul in pleasure suffering lies" captures the emotional essence of the stanza — joy and pain are intertwined on earth.

  4. "Fear doth at every portal knock; / Never a day serene and pure"

    Editor's note

    The angel pushes on: no day in life is ever completely safe. Fear is always lurking at every door. The image of a storm looming over tomorrow's dawn highlights the notion that security is just an illusion in the human experience.

  5. "What then, shall sorrows and shall fears / Come to disturb so pure a brow?"

    Editor's note

    Now the angel makes it personal. Why should *this* particular child — with its clear brow and blue eyes — have to go through all that suffering? The rhetorical question aims to prompt the listener (and the reader) to agree: of course not.

  6. "Ah no! into the fields of space, / Away shalt thou escape with me;"

    Editor's note

    The angel reveals its decision. The word *escape* is significant — death is presented as a form of liberation instead of a loss. The angel asserts that Providence is, in fact, doing the child a favor by cutting its life short.

  7. "Let no one in thy dwelling cower, / In sombre vestments draped and veiled;"

    Editor's note

    The angel says that mourning clothes and grief don't belong at this death. We should celebrate the child's passing just like we celebrated its birth. This is the poem's boldest idea: a baby's funeral should feel like a birthday.

  8. "Without a cloud be there each brow; / There let the grave no shadow cast;"

    Editor's note

    The angel concludes its argument with a vivid image of brightness and clarity. For a soul this pure, death isn’t a gloomy end but rather the best possible day — "the fairest day is still the last." It’s a lovely line, and one that offers deep comfort.

  9. And waving wide his wings of white, / The angel, at these words, had sped

    Editor's note

    The angel leaves, and the poem returns to harsh reality with two words: *thy son is dead.* The transition from the angel's lofty, convincing words to this straightforward, direct statement to the mother is heart-wrenching. All the theological solace the angel provided must now be weighed against the pain of a real grieving parent.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone shifts between two distinct registers. Throughout most of the poem, it remains soft and soothing—the angel speaks in smooth, measured stanzas that resemble a lullaby, gently arguing that dying young can be a mercy. However, the last two lines shatter that calmness completely. The final words addressed to the mother are stark and filled with sorrow, transforming everything earlier into a form of cold comfort. The overall effect is bittersweet: beautiful in its reasoning yet heartbreaking in its conclusion.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The angel
The angel represents both a harbinger of death and a symbol of divine mercy. By portraying death as an angel instead of a ghostly figure, the poem encourages us to view infant mortality not just as a heartbreaking loss, but as a soul being welcomed home before the world can taint it.
The cradle
The cradle represents the intersection of birth and death throughout the poem. It symbolizes new life, yet it's also where the angel discovers the child and presents its argument. By the end, the cradle transforms into a threshold between worlds.
Azure eyes
The baby's blue eyes symbolize innocence and purity. The angel points to them as proof: eyes this clear should never shed tears. They serve as a tangible detail that brings the abstract theological argument to life, making it feel personal and urgent.
White wings
The angel's white wings represent holiness and purity, yet they also remind us of a burial shroud. When the angel spreads them and takes off, it's a gesture that signifies both a flight to heaven and a covering of the child in death.
The tempest
The storm looming over every tomorrow represents the unpredictable hardships of adult life—illness, loss, war, and grief. The angel uses this to suggest that the child is better off avoiding these challenges altogether.
Sombre vestments
The mourning clothes that the angel advises the family *not* to wear symbolize traditional grief. By rejecting these garments, the angel encourages the survivors to see this death as a joyful release instead of a loss — a shift in perspective that is, as the final line indicates, easier said than done.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Meter
iambic tetrameter
Rhyme
ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH IJIJ KLKL MNMN OPOP QRQR

§07Historical context

Historical context

This poem is Longfellow's translation of a work by Jean Reboul (1796–1864), a baker from Nîmes who gained fame in Europe as a self-taught poet from the working class. Reboul's original piece, *L'Ange et l'Enfant* (1828), was one of the most cherished French poems of the Romantic era and saw widespread reprints and translations throughout the nineteenth century. The poem addressed a time when infant mortality was prevalent, providing parents with a way to understand the loss of their young children. Longfellow, having experienced the tragic deaths of both his first and second wives, was drawn to poetry that explored themes of grief and solace. His translation was included in his 1833 collection *Outre-Mer*, helping to bring Reboul's work to English-speaking audiences. The Romantic era's inclination to romanticize childhood innocence — also evident in Blake and Wordsworth — lends the poem its theological foundation: the purer the soul, the less it is tied to the fallen world.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

What is the poem actually about?

An angel visits a sleeping baby and persuades the child to join heaven, claiming that life on earth is filled with pain and that the child is too innocent for it. The poem concludes with the revelation that the baby has passed away, and the last line speaks directly to the grieving mother.

Did Longfellow write this poem or just translate it?

Longfellow translated the poem. The original piece, L'Ange et l'Enfant, was penned by Jean Reboul, a French baker and self-taught poet hailing from Nîmes. Longfellow's title reflects this — he credits Reboul as the author directly in the heading. The translation was included in Longfellow's 1833 prose travel book, Outre-Mer.

Why does the angel say the child's death should be celebrated, not mourned?

The angel's argument draws from Romantic-era beliefs about the innocence of childhood. Since the baby has never sinned or experienced suffering, its soul remains entirely pure. In the angel's perspective, dying before the world can tarnish that purity is a gift — thus, the family should welcome the death just as they welcomed the birth. It's a comforting notion, but the poem's final line underscores how difficult it is to genuinely embrace that feeling.

What does "Joy hath an undertone of pain" mean?

It suggests that even our happiest moments come with a hint of sadness — a recognition that they won’t last forever or a worry about losing what we cherish. The angel is arguing that earthly happiness is never fully satisfying or secure, so the child isn’t truly missing out on anything that’s perfect.

Why is the ending so abrupt?

The abrupt transition to "Poor mother! see, thy son is dead!" is intentional. For eight stanzas, the poem has adhered to the angel's comforting and beautiful reasoning. The conclusion pulls us back to the harsh truth of grief. All that theological reflection must now coexist with a mother's sorrow, and this contrast is the poem's central message.

What does the poem say about God or religion?

The poem generally reflects Christian beliefs, suggesting the existence of heaven, the reality of angels, and that God's plan determines when people pass away. However, it avoids getting into specific doctrines. Instead, it emphasizes comfort over theology, conveying the notion that a benevolent God wouldn’t allow an innocent child to suffer unnecessarily.

Is this poem an example of Romanticism?

Yes, absolutely. It romanticizes the innocence of childhood, portrays nature and the spiritual realm as connected, employs an angel as a powerful symbol, and presents death as a form of transcendence rather than just an ending. The straightforward emotional expression and emphasis on personal sorrow over social or political issues are also key features of Romantic poetry.

What is the meter and form of the poem?

The poem uses iambic tetrameter—four stressed beats per line—arranged into quatrains (four-line stanzas) with an ABAB rhyme scheme. This structured form lends the angel's speech a calm, almost musical quality, making the harshness of the final line hit even harder in contrast.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. "By Jean Reboul, the Baker of Nismes." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/by-jean-reboul-the-baker-of-nismes-henry-wadsworth-longfellow/.

APA

Longfellow, H. W. (n.d.). By jean reboul, the baker of nismes. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/by-jean-reboul-the-baker-of-nismes-henry-wadsworth-longfellow/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

Row A — Thesis

1 pt

Longfellow's translation of Reboul's angel-and-infant poem constructs death not as a rupture but as a homecoming, using the angel's extended persuasion to expose the brutal irony at the poem's center: the very tenderness of the seduction …

  • Row B — Evidence + Commentary4 pts
  • Row C — Sophistication1 pt
  • Common student errors
Unlock the full scaffold

Available on any Storgy plan — model paragraphs, band callouts, and common student errors for every poem.

The study desk

Teaching materials and reference tools prepared for this poem.

InteractiveSelf-test

Take the quiz on this poem

Test your reading directly on the page — instant scoring, no signup, no printing.

ReferenceMLA · APA · Chicago

Cite this poem

A properly formatted citation for your essay or bibliography, typeset by deterministic rules — no AI involved.

Adjacent texts in the archive

More by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Browse all Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poems →

Themes in this poem

Poems about DeathPoems about FaithPoems about HopePoems about Sorrow

Compared with

Compare this poem with any other →

Poetry tools

Analyze another poem →Rate your own poem →Check rhyme & meter →