INTENDED TO GO WITH A POSSET DISH TO MY DEAR LITTLE GODDAUGHTER, 1882 by James Russell Lowell: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
A humorous poem by James Russell Lowell, crafted to accompany a posset dish given to his goddaughter during her christening in 1882.
The poem
In good old times, which means, you know, The time men wasted long ago, And we must blame our brains or mood If that we squander seems less good, In those blest days when wish was act And fancy dreamed itself to fact, Godfathers used to fill with guineas The cups they gave their pickaninnies, Performing functions at the chrism Not mentioned in the Catechism. No millioner, poor I fill up With wishes my more modest cup, Though had I Amalthea's horn It should be hers the newly born. Nay, shudder not! I should bestow it So brimming full she couldn't blow it. Wishes aren't horses: true, but still There are worse roadsters than goodwill. And so I wish my darling health, And just to round my couplet, wealth, With faith enough to bridge the chasm 'Twixt Genesis and Protoplasm, And bear her o'er life's current vext From this world to a better next, Where the full glow of God puts out Poor reason's farthing candle, Doubt. I've wished her healthy, wealthy, wise, What more can godfather devise? But since there's room for countless wishes In these old-fashioned posset dishes, I'll wish her from my plenteous store Of those commodities two more, Her father's wit, veined through and through With tenderness that Watts (but whew! Celia's aflame, I mean no stricture On his Sir Josh-surpassing picture)-- I wish her next, and 'tis the soul Of all I've dropt into the bowl, Her mother's beauty--nay, but two So fair at once would never do. Then let her but the half possess, Troy was besieged ten years for less. Now if there's any truth in Darwin, And we from what was, all we are win, I simply wish the child to be A sample of Heredity, Enjoying to the full extent Life's best, the Unearned Increment Which Fate her Godfather to flout Gave _him_ in legacies of gout. Thus, then, the cup is duly filled; Walk steady, dear, lest all be spilled.
A humorous poem by James Russell Lowell, crafted to accompany a posset dish given to his goddaughter during her christening in 1882. He playfully notes that he can’t fill the cup with gold coins like traditional godfathers, so instead, he fills it with heartfelt wishes: health, wealth, faith, her father's cleverness, her mother's beauty, and the good fortune of inheriting the best traits from her parents. The entire piece is both warm and amusing, resembling a toast from someone who clearly holds the family dear.
Line-by-line
In good old times, which means, you know, / The time men wasted long ago,
In those blest days when wish was act / And fancy dreamed itself to fact,
Godfathers used to fill with guineas / The cups they gave their pickaninnies,
No millioner, poor I fill up / With wishes my more modest cup,
Though had I Amalthea's horn / It should be hers the newly born.
Wishes aren't horses: true, but still / There are worse roadsters than goodwill.
And so I wish my darling health, / And just to round my couplet, wealth,
With faith enough to bridge the chasm / 'Twixt Genesis and Protoplasm,
And bear her o'er life's current vext / From this world to a better next,
Where the full glow of God puts out / Poor reason's farthing candle, Doubt.
I've wished her healthy, wealthy, wise, / What more can godfather devise?
But since there's room for countless wishes / In these old-fashioned posset dishes,
Her father's wit, veined through and through / With tenderness that Watts (but whew!
I wish her next, and 'tis the soul / Of all I've dropt into the bowl,
Her mother's beauty--nay, but two / So fair at once would never do.
Now if there's any truth in Darwin, / And we from what was, all we are win,
Enjoying to the full extent / Life's best, the Unearned Increment
Which Fate her Godfather to flout / Gave _him_ in legacies of gout.
Thus, then, the cup is duly filled; / Walk steady, dear, lest all be spilled.
Tone & mood
Warm, witty, and self-deprecating, with moments of genuine tenderness that resonate even more because of the surrounding jokes. Lowell writes like a clever uncle at a christening—he’s showing off a bit, but the affection is genuine. His humor never feels mean; it mainly pokes fun at himself, the conventions of gift poems, and the big philosophical questions of our time.
Symbols & metaphors
- The posset dish / cup — The physical christening gift that anchors the whole poem. Lowell transforms it into a vessel for his wishes instead of using gold coins, making a material object a container for love and hope. By the final line, the cup being "full" signifies that the poem itself is complete.
- Amalthea's horn (cornucopia) — The mythological horn of endless plenty symbolizes the boundless generosity Lowell *would* display if he had the means. His financial modesty is often compared to this unattainable ideal of abundance.
- The farthing candle — The smallest, cheapest candle — symbolizing human doubt and the boundaries of rational thought. When faced with the full light of God, doubt becomes insignificant and easily snuffed out. This simple image conveys a significant theological message without coming across as preachy.
- The bridge over the chasm — Faith serves as a bridge connecting religious belief (Genesis) to scientific fact (protoplasm, evolution). This concept encapsulates the Victorian crisis of faith in a single, vivid image, presenting faith as a practical and structural element rather than just an emotional one.
- Heredity / Darwin — Lowell draws on the emerging science of inheritance to outline his final wishes. By referencing Darwin, he reinterprets his blessings as natural phenomena instead of mystical elements — the child's abilities are inherent in her parents, and he is merely hoping for these traits to be inherited.
- Gout — Lowell's inherited affliction serves as a humorous contrast to the beautiful things he hopes for his goddaughter. This detail adds depth to his character and wraps up the poem with a sense of bittersweet self-awareness.
Historical context
James Russell Lowell wrote this poem in 1882, towards the end of his life, as a gift to accompany a christening posset dish for his goddaughter. By this time, Lowell had become one of America's most famous literary figures — a poet, critic, Harvard professor, and diplomat who was serving as U.S. Minister to Britain. The poem reflects the Victorian era: Darwin's *On the Origin of Species* (1859) had been influencing educated thought for over twenty years, and the clash between evolutionary science and Christian faith was a hot topic of discussion. Lowell's mention of bridging "Genesis and Protoplasm" directly captures that unease. Additionally, the poem is part of a long-standing tradition of gift verse — occasional poems written to commemorate a particular event and accompany a tangible item — a style that Lowell approaches with his usual blend of lightness and insight.
FAQ
A posset dish is a two-handled cup that’s traditionally used to serve posset—a warm drink made by curdling hot milk with wine or ale, often spiced up. In earlier centuries, they were popular gifts for christenings, sometimes filled with coins by generous godfathers. Lowell is giving one as a christening gift and using it as the poem's central metaphor.
This is Lowell's way of describing the clash between religious belief and Darwinian science. "Genesis" refers to the biblical story of creation, while "Protoplasm" was a significant term in 1880s biology, indicating the fundamental living substance of cells — the very material that evolution acts upon. He hopes his goddaughter has enough faith to embrace both perspectives without feeling conflicted by their differences.
In Greek mythology, Amalthea was a goat (or goat-nymph) who cared for the baby Zeus. When one of her horns broke, it transformed into the cornucopia — the "horn of plenty" that spills over with endless food and wealth. Lowell uses this symbolism to express that if he had limitless riches, he would give all of it to his goddaughter.
"Unearned Increment" is an economics term popularized by philosopher John Stuart Mill, referring to value that a person receives without any effort on their part — for example, a landowner whose property gains value just because a city expands around it. Lowell uses this concept playfully to describe the gifts of birth: beauty, wit, and good health that a child receives from their parents without having to work for them. He then reflects on his own situation — his unearned inheritance from Fate turned out to be gout.
It's a joke that references the legend of Helen of Troy, whose beauty sparked the Trojan War. Lowell suggests that having two women as stunning as her mother would be overwhelming for the world — so he settles for half. He goes on to say that even half of her mother's beauty was enough to lay siege to Troy for ten years, which is quite a roundabout way of complimenting the mother.
Almost certainly yes, or at least the family read it when they received the gift. Poems like this were often crafted for sharing in social settings—they're just as much about performance as they are about personal expression. The jokes hit harder when spoken aloud, and the final line ("Walk steady, dear, lest all be spilled") makes for a great toast.
He's playing off the old English proverb: "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride" — suggesting that merely wishing isn’t enough to make things happen. Lowell gets that but believes goodwill can still take you places. It’s a thoughtful, self-aware defense of writing a poem rich in wishes rather than handing over actual gold.
G.F. Watts (1817–1904) was a renowned British portrait painter during the Victorian era, famous for his large, allegorical works and portraits of notable individuals. "Sir Josh" is a reference to Sir Joshua Reynolds, the prominent portrait artist from the 18th century. Lowell begins to liken the father's portrait to a painting by Watts but quickly becomes flustered—concerned that such a comparison might come off as a criticism—and leaves the thought unfinished. This moment of self-interruption is intentionally comedic.