CORNISH LULLABY by Eugene Field: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
A mother sings her baby to sleep, while outside in the hills, trolls and a miner sing solely about gold.
The poem
Out on the mountain over the town, All night long, all night long, The trolls go up and the trolls go down, Bearing their packs and crooning a song; And this is the song the hill-folk croon, As they trudge in the light of the misty moon,-- This is ever their dolorous tune: "Gold, gold! ever more gold,-- Bright red gold for dearie!" Deep in the hill the yeoman delves All night long, all night long; None but the peering, furtive elves See his toil and hear his song; Merrily ever the cavern rings As merrily ever his pick he swings, And merrily ever this song he sings: "Gold, gold! ever more gold,-- Bright red gold for dearie!" Mother is rocking thy lowly bed All night long, all night long, Happy to smooth thy curly head And to hold thy hand and to sing her song; 'T is not of the hill-folk, dwarfed and old, Nor the song of the yeoman, stanch and bold, And the burden it beareth is not of gold; But it's "Love, love!--nothing but love,-- Mother's love for dearie!" UHLAND'S "THREE CAVALIERS" There were three cavaliers that went over the Rhine, And gayly they called to the hostess for wine. "And where is thy daughter? We would she were here,-- Go fetch us that maiden to gladden our cheer!" "I'll fetch thee thy goblets full foaming," she said, "But in yon darkened chamber the maiden lies dead." And lo! as they stood in the doorway, the white Of a shroud and a dead shrunken face met their sight. Then the first cavalier breathed a pitiful sigh, And the throb of his heart seemed to melt in his eye, And he cried, "Hadst thou lived, O my pretty white rose, I ween I had loved thee and wed thee--who knows?" The next cavalier drew aside a small space, And stood to the wall with his hands to his face; And this was the heart-cry that came with his tears: "I loved her, I loved her these many long years!" But the third cavalier kneeled him down in that place, And, as it were holy, he kissed that dead face: "I loved thee long years, and I love thee to-day, And I'll love thee, dear maiden, forever and aye!"
A mother sings her baby to sleep, while outside in the hills, trolls and a miner sing solely about gold. This poem highlights a contrast: no amount of glittering wealth can compare to a mother's love for her child. It serves as a gentle reminder that the most precious thing in the world doesn't shine or have any weight.
Line-by-line
Out on the mountain over the town, / All night long, all night long,
Deep in the hill the yeoman delves / All night long, all night long;
Mother is rocking thy lowly bed / All night long, all night long,
Tone & mood
Gentle and soothing on the surface, with a subtle yet strong moral underneath. The rhythm is intentionally rocking and repetitive—crafted to resemble a lullaby. However, Field is consistently making a clear argument, and by the final stanza, the tenderness delivers a genuine emotional impact.
Symbols & metaphors
- Gold — Gold represents material wealth and worldly ambition. Both the trolls and the miner pursue it obsessively, and Field uses it as a shorthand for everything that is *not* love—things that shine but lack warmth.
- The mountain / the hill — The mountain is the world beyond the home—dark, misty, and filled with creatures who work tirelessly. It symbolizes the harsh, transactional nature of acquiring and spending, contrasting with the cozy warmth of the nursery.
- The lowly bed — The baby's simple, humble bed stands as the emotional heart of the poem. Its plainness—described as 'lowly'—is significant; there’s no gold or grandeur, just a mother and her child. The term 'lowly' also subtly hints at a religious connection, evoking the image of the manger.
- The song / burden — Each character in the poem has their own song, and Field intentionally uses the word 'burden' to refer to the refrain or chorus. A burden can also mean a weight you carry. The trolls and miner carry gold, while the mother carries love. It's the same word, but with a completely different meaning.
Historical context
Eugene Field was an American journalist and poet active in the late 19th century, often called the 'poet of childhood' for his beloved works like *Wynken, Blynken, and Nod* and *Little Boy Blue*. He wrote extensively for newspapers, particularly the Chicago Morning News, and his children's poems enjoyed immense popularity during his lifetime. The title 'Cornish Lullaby' nods to the folklore of Cornwall in southwest England, a region known for its tin and copper mining, as well as its vibrant tradition of fairy tales featuring knockers, piskies, and underground spirits. Field captures that enchanting atmosphere—complete with trolls and yeomen digging into the hills—to create a fairy-tale setting that makes the poem's shift to themes of maternal love feel even more genuine and relatable. Published in the 1880s, the poem reflects a time when sentimental verses about home and motherhood were key elements of American popular culture.
FAQ
On the surface, it seems like a lullaby — a mother soothing her baby to sleep. However, Field frames it as a contrast: trolls and a miner are up all night chasing gold, while a mother stays awake pouring out her love. The poem suggests that love holds greater value than any treasure.
Field draws inspiration from Cornish folklore, rich with tales of underground creatures, miners, and fairy-tale hill-folk. The region's mining history and myths provide an ideal backdrop—a world fixated on searching for gold—that contrasts beautifully with the warmth of a mother's love.
'Dolorous' refers to feelings of sorrow or mourning. Field describes the trolls' song as dolorous, even though the lyrics celebrate gold. This suggests that their relentless chase for wealth is, in fact, a reflection of a sad and empty life.
It's a lullaby technique — repetition has a calming effect that lulls you to sleep. It also connects the three stanzas structurally. The trolls toil through the night, the miner toils through the night, and the mother rocks her child through the night. This repetition creates a sense of parallelism that makes the contrast hit harder.
In poetry and music, a 'burden' refers to the refrain — the repeated line that conveys the central message of a song. Field uses this term cleverly, as 'burden' also signifies a heavy load. The trolls and miners bear the burden of gold, while the mother's burden is love. It's the same word but evokes contrasting feelings.
In the songs of the trolls and the miner, the term 'dearie' carries a double meaning—it might refer to a loved one they are laboring for, or it could simply express affection for the gold itself. However, in the mother's song, 'dearie' unambiguously refers to the baby. This ambiguity highlights Field's argument: the trolls and miner have blurred the lines between their love for gold and their love for people.
Yes, it has a strong, steady beat and a repeating refrain that makes it truly singable. Field wrote many poems that were set to music, and this one features the rocking, repetitive structure typical of lullabies.
The poem comforts the child, reminding them that they are loved just for being who they are — not for their achievements or what they can produce. For the adult reading it, there's a soft reminder: avoid being like the trolls or the miner, who chase after gold while ignoring what truly matters right in front of them.