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Long Ago by Eugene Field

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A grown man reflects on his childhood and recalls how intimately he understood the natural world around him — the birds, the plants, the fish, the crows.

Poet
Eugene Field
Core theme
Childhood
The PoemFull text

Long Ago

Eugene Field

I once knew all the birds that came And nested in our orchard trees; For every flower I had a name-- My friends were woodchucks, toads, and bees; I knew where thrived in yonder glen What plants would soothe a stone-bruised toe-- Oh, I was very learned then; But that was very long ago! I knew the spot upon the hill Where checkerberries could be found, I knew the rushes near the mill Where pickerel lay that weighed a pound! I knew the wood,--the very tree Where lived the poaching, saucy crow, And all the woods and crows knew me-- But that was very long ago. And pining for the joys of youth, I tread the old familiar spot Only to learn this solemn truth: I have forgotten, am forgot. Yet here's this youngster at my knee Knows all the things I used to know; To think I once was wise as he-- But that was very long ago. I know it's folly to complain Of whatsoe'er the Fates decree; Yet were not wishes all in vain, I tell you what my wish should be: I'd wish to be a boy again, Back with the friends I used to know; For I was, oh! so happy then-- But that was very long ago!

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

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§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A grown man reflects on his childhood and recalls how intimately he understood the natural world around him — the birds, the plants, the fish, the crows. Now, as he revisits those same places, he realizes that both his knowledge and his presence have faded away. More than anything, he longs to be a boy again.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. I once knew all the birds that came / And nested in our orchard trees;

    Editor's note

    The speaker begins by recalling a childhood filled with close encounters with nature: birds, flowers, woodchucks, toads, and bees. He describes himself as "very learned," but this learning is rooted in the instinctive, hands-on experiences of a child who plays outside all day, rather than in any formal education. The final line, "But that was very long ago," feels like a small door gently shutting. It establishes a refrain that resonates throughout each stanza.

  2. I knew the spot upon the hill / Where checkerberries could be found,

    Editor's note

    The second stanza dives deeper into specifics — mentioning a certain hill, a specific mill, and a particular tree where a crow resided. This level of detail is important: it isn't just vague nostalgia; it's a child's memory tied to specific places. The mention of the "poaching, saucy crow" adds character to the natural world. The woods and crows seemed to "know" him in return, subtly hinting at the impending loss.

  3. And pining for the joys of youth, / I tread the old familiar spot

    Editor's note

    This is the emotional turning point of the poem. The speaker revisits those places and realizes a double truth: he has forgotten the world, and the world has forgotten him. The child at his knee — perhaps his own — knows everything he once knew. Rather than feeling comforted, this brings a gentle bewilderment: "To think I once was wise as he." Here, wisdom refers to the natural understanding of childhood, not the complexities of adult knowledge.

  4. I know it's folly to complain / Of whatsoe'er the Fates decree;

    Editor's note

    The final stanza reveals the speaker's true feelings. He understands that complaining won’t change anything, yet he finds it hard to stop. His desire is straightforward and poignant: to return to his childhood and the friends he once had. The exclamation "oh! so happy then" marks the point where his emotional control slips away. The poem concludes just as it started — with the refrain — but now the weight of "long ago" feels much more significant.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

Warm and nostalgic, with a subtle ache beneath the surface. Field maintains a light and conversational tone — much like a man chatting to himself during a stroll — yet the emotion that builds is a heartfelt sorrow for time that has slipped away. There’s no resentment, just a gentle, wistful affection for the boy he once was.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The orchard, hill, mill, and glen
These childhood places aren't merely backdrops — they're the landscape of who I am. Each location reflects a part of me that has faded away, and going back to them only intensifies the feeling of loss.
The saucy crow
The crow is the only character in the poem that comes to life with a personality. It’s described as "poaching" and "saucy" — playful, like a mischievous child. The woods and crows once recognized the speaker, so their forgetting of him feels personal, almost like being socially rejected by nature itself.
The youngster at my knee
The child reflects the speaker's lost self, now embodied in another person. He offers both comfort and a mirror, revealing to the speaker what he has turned into: an adult who has exchanged instinctive wonder for life experience, and questions whether that exchange was worthwhile.
The refrain "But that was very long ago"
The refrain, repeated at the end of each stanza, functions like a ticking clock. With each iteration, it accumulates more weight, until by the final stanza, it bears the heavy load of a lifetime spent away from happiness.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Meter
iambic tetrameter
Rhyme
ABABCDCD ABABCDCD ABABCDCD ABABCDCD

§07Historical context

Historical context

Eugene Field wrote this poem in the late 19th century, a time when American poetry was really focusing on childhood. This shift was partly a response to the rapid industrialization and urbanization of the era, which made the innocence of rural childhood feel all the more rare and valuable. Born in Missouri in 1850, Field is best known for his writings for and about children—his most famous piece being "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod." However, poems like "Long Ago" reveal that he was truly interested in how adults connect with their childhood memories. This poem fits into a tradition that includes Whittier's nostalgic works and Longfellow's reflections on time. Field's early death at 45 adds a poignant layer to his frequent explorations of lost youth.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

What is the main message of "Long Ago"?

The poem's central idea is that childhood represents a unique kind of knowledge — a close, joyful bond with nature — that adults unknowingly lose. The speaker doesn't just long for his youth; he yearns for the vivid, intricate way he perceived his environment as a child.

What does the refrain "But that was very long ago" mean?

It's a sigh woven into the fabric of the poem. Each stanza concludes with it, and with every instance, it feels a bit weightier. This sigh highlights the gap between the vibrant, detailed world of childhood and the speaker's current life, where those moments are becoming distant memories.

Who is the "youngster at my knee" in the third stanza?

Field doesn't specify, but the child is likely the speaker's son or a young relative. What truly matters is what the child symbolizes: a living reminder that the knowledge and happiness the speaker has lost still exist in the world — they've simply been passed on to someone else.

What does the speaker mean by "I have forgotten, am forgot"?

It's a double loss. He's forgotten the natural world he once knew intimately, and that world — the places and creatures — has forgotten him in return. He's no longer part of it. This line captures the emotional core of the entire poem.

What is the rhyme scheme and how does it affect the poem?

Each stanza has an ABABCDCD rhyme scheme and a lively rhythm. This lightness contributes to the poem's impact; its sing-song quality resembles children's verses, enhancing the sadness beneath it. The structure evokes a sense of nostalgia.

Is this poem autobiographical?

Field grew up in rural Missouri before moving to cities for his journalism career, making his transition from a nature-filled childhood to an adult life away from it a fitting part of his story. However, the emotions he expresses are relatable to anyone who has felt that childhood is a place they can no longer return to.

Why does the speaker call himself "learned" as a child?

He's using gentle irony while also being genuinely serious. The knowledge he had as a boy wasn't academic, but it was real and profound: he knew which plants could heal a bruised toe, where to find the fish, and which tree the crow made its home in. He's pointing out that this kind of hands-on, inquisitive knowledge is a form of wisdom in itself, one that many adults tend to lose.

What is the tone of the final stanza compared to the rest of the poem?

The first three stanzas focus on description and reflection. In contrast, the final stanza is the most emotionally direct — the speaker candidly expresses his wish, and the exclamation "oh! so happy then" is where the otherwise controlled, conversational tone breaks. This moment captures the poem's closest approach to outright longing.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Field, Eugene. "Long Ago." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/long-ago-eugene-field/.

APA

Field, E. (n.d.). Long ago. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/long-ago-eugene-field/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

Row A — Thesis

1 pt

In Eugene Field's 'Long Ago,' the adult speaker's ritualized refrain, 'But that was very long ago,' does more than mark the passage of time; it enacts the very estrangement it mourns, revealing that the loss of childhood is not merely a …

  • Row B — Evidence + Commentary4 pts
  • Row C — Sophistication1 pt
  • Common student errors
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