CHRISTMAS TREASURES by Eugene Field: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
A grieving father reflects on the small mementos left behind after his young son passed away on Christmas — a toy, a stocking, a lock of hair.
The poem
I count my treasures o'er with care.-- The little toy my darling knew, A little sock of faded hue, A little lock of golden hair. Long years ago this holy time, My little one--my all to me-- Sat robed in white upon my knee And heard the merry Christmas chime. "Tell me, my little golden-head, If Santa Claus should come to-night, What shall he bring my baby bright,-- What treasure for my boy?" I said. And then he named this little toy, While in his round and mournful eyes There came a look of sweet surprise, That spake his quiet, trustful joy. And as he lisped his evening prayer He asked the boon with childish grace; Then, toddling to the chimney-place, He hung this little stocking there. That night, while lengthening shadows crept, I saw the white-winged angels come With singing to our lowly home And kiss my darling as he slept. They must have heard his little prayer, For in the morn, with rapturous face, He toddled to the chimney-place, And found this little treasure there. They came again one Christmas-tide,-- That angel host, so fair and white! And singing all that glorious night, They lured my darling from my side. A little sock, a little toy, A little lock of golden hair, The Christmas music on the air, A watching for my baby boy! But if again that angel train And golden-head come back for me, To bear me to Eternity, My watching will not be in vain! 1879.
A grieving father reflects on the small mementos left behind after his young son passed away on Christmas — a toy, a stocking, a lock of hair. The poem shifts from a joyful Christmas memory to the night the angels arrived and took the child away. Ultimately, the father finds solace in the thought that those same angels will return for him one day, reuniting him with his boy.
Line-by-line
I count my treasures o'er with care.-- / The little toy my darling knew,
Long years ago this holy time, / My little one--my all to me--
"Tell me, my little golden-head, / If Santa Claus should come to-night,
And then he named this little toy, / While in his round and mournful eyes
And as he lisped his evening prayer / He asked the boon with childish grace;
That night, while lengthening shadows crept, / I saw the white-winged angels come
They must have heard his little prayer, / For in the morn, with rapturous face,
They came again one Christmas-tide,-- / That angel host, so fair and white!
A little sock, a little toy, / A little lock of golden hair,
But if again that angel train / And golden-head come back for me,
Tone & mood
The tone remains tender and sorrowful throughout, yet it avoids slipping into self-pity. Field conveys the grief in a personal and subdued way — this is a father with small objects, not a man putting on a show of mourning. The warmth of the Christmas memories makes the loss feel even more acute by contrast. By the final stanza, the sorrow transforms into a sense of patient hope, stemming from faith rather than certainty.
Symbols & metaphors
- The toy, sock, and lock of hair — These three objects are the poem's physical anchors. They represent the child — small, ordinary, and irreplaceable. Counting them is the father's personal way of grieving, a ritual that helps him feel connected to the boy.
- The white-winged angels — The angels show up in two ways: first as gift-bearers who fulfill the child's prayer, and later as the ones who bring about his death. Their whiteness and singing transform death into a seamless part of the Christmas wonder instead of a break — which is precisely the comfort the poem aims to convey.
- The chimney-place / stocking — The chimney is the place where gifts come in and where the child places his hopes. It turns into a symbol of anticipation—initially filled with joy, but later, upon reflection, it becomes tied to the last Christmas the boy experienced.
- Golden hair / golden-head — The child's golden hair appears in the opening inventory and is reflected in the final stanza when the father envisions his son coming back with the angels. Gold often represents the divine and the precious; in this context, it connects the living child to the heavenly figure the father longs to reunite with.
- Christmas music / the chime — The Christmas bells and angelic singing weave through the poem, linking joy and grief. In the last stanza, "the Christmas music on the air" symbolizes what the father patiently awaits — the sound has transformed into a form of vigil.
Historical context
Eugene Field penned this poem in 1879, a time when child mortality weighed heavily on American families. As a father himself, Field was particularly in tune with the emotional landscape of childhood. Today, he is best known for poems like "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" and "Little Boy Blue," both of which touch on the theme of a child's death. During the Victorian and Gilded Age, mourning poetry was a significant part of the culture, and the loss of a child during Christmas felt especially poignant as the holiday increasingly became a celebration focused on children and family. Field's sentimental style resonated deeply with newspaper readers of his time, and he was a frequent contributor to the Chicago Daily News. This poem fits well within the tradition of consolation verse, drawing on Christian beliefs about reunion after death to turn grief into hope.
FAQ
Field had eight children, and some of them died at a young age. Although this poem feels very personal, it isn't directly linked to one specific event in Field's life. He often wrote about childhood and loss, and the genuine emotions in his work likely reflect actual grief, even if this poem isn't a strict autobiography.
The child has died. The poem unfolds like a memory, as the speaker reminisces about a joyful Christmas when his son was still alive, only to reveal that angels returned the following Christmas to take the boy away. The items he counts at the beginning — a toy, a sock, a lock of hair — are mementos from a child who is no longer with us.
It suggests that the angels gently guided the child toward death and heaven, much like a beautiful song might effortlessly attract someone. Field's choice of the word "lured" is intentional — it conveys a sense of the child's death as gentle and willing rather than violent, aligning with the poem's comforting intent.
This is the father reflecting on the memory, aware of what unfolded later. He perceives a sadness in the child's innocent eyes that wasn't present back then. This is a typical aspect of grief — we revisit joyful times and uncover shadows within them that only resonate after experiencing loss.
Each stanza consists of four lines that rhyme in an ABBA pattern—the first and fourth lines rhyme, while the second and third lines also rhyme. This "envelope" rhyme scheme creates a feeling of being wrapped up, which aligns perfectly with a poem centered on cherishing memories.
Not exactly. He expresses a hope that when his own death arrives, his son and the angels will be there to welcome him. "My watching will not be in vain" signifies that his long years of grief and waiting will serve a purpose — reunion. This reflects a belief in an afterlife, rather than a desire for death.
Yes, in a generally Christian sense. The angels, the child's evening prayer, and the notion of being taken to "Eternity" — all of these reflect Protestant Christian ideas about heaven and the reunion after death. Field doesn't delve into specific doctrines; instead, the religion presented is more about providing emotional comfort than engaging with theology.
"Little" appears repeatedly — little toy, little sock, little lock, little one, little prayer, little stocking. This constant reminder of the child's smallness and vulnerability deepens the sense of loss: something so small and helpless shouldn’t have been taken away. The repetition serves as a subtle expression of mourning.