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The Annotated Edition

MOTHER AND SPHINX by Eugene Field

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

A mother softly sings a lullaby to her sleeping child while the ancient Sphinx stands watch in the Egyptian desert, awaiting a long-promised king.

Poet
Eugene Field
The PoemFull text

MOTHER AND SPHINX

Eugene Field

(EGYPTIAN FOLK-SONG) Grim is the face that looks into the night Over the stretch of sands; A sullen rock in a sea of white-- A ghostly shadow in ghostly light, Peering and moaning it stands. _"Oh, is it the king that rides this way-- Oh, is it the king that rides so free? I have looked for the king this many a day, But the years that mock me will not say Why tarrieth he!"_ 'T is not your king that shall ride to-night, But a child that is fast asleep; And the horse he shall ride is the Dream-horse white-- Aha, he shall speed through the ghostly light Where the ghostly shadows creep! _"My eyes are dull and my face is sere, Yet unto the word he gave I cling, For he was a Pharaoh that set me here-- And, lo! I have waited this many a year For him--my king!"_ Oh, past thy face my darling shall ride Swift as the burning winds that bear The sand clouds over the desert wide-- Swift to the verdure and palms beside The wells off there! _"And is it the mighty king I shall see Come riding into the night? Oh, is it the king come back to me-- Proudly and fiercely rideth he, With centuries dight!"_ I know no king but my dark-eyed dear That shall ride the Dream-Horse white; But see! he wakes at my bosom here, While the Dream-Horse frettingly lingers near To speed with my babe to-night! _And out of the desert darkness peers A ghostly, ghastly, shadowy thing Like a spirit come out of the mouldering years, And ever that waiting spectre hears The coming king!_

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A mother softly sings a lullaby to her sleeping child while the ancient Sphinx stands watch in the Egyptian desert, awaiting a long-promised king. The poem flows between the mother's loving voice and the Sphinx's solitary, centuries-long watch, turning the child's dream-ride into the moment the Sphinx has always yearned for. It’s a gentle, haunting poem that illustrates how a mother's love can feel as boundless and eternal as any myth.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Grim is the face that looks into the night / Over the stretch of sands;

    Editor's note

    The poem begins by depicting the Sphinx from the outside — a huge, brooding stone face gazing into the dark desert. Field quickly establishes the atmosphere: ancient, quiet, and somewhat eerie. The line "sullen rock in a sea of white" conveys not only the physical presence of the monument but also its emotional gravity — it has waited for so long that it has become sullen.

  2. 'T is not your king that shall ride to-night, / But a child that is fast asleep;

    Editor's note

    The mother's voice responds to the Sphinx's deep cry. She softly reassures it: no king is on the way, just her sleeping baby, who will journey on the Dream-Horse (the white horse of dreams) throughout the night. The difference between the Sphinx's lofty, timeless hope and the mother's simple, everyday truth is what makes the poem so enchanting.

  3. Oh, past thy face my darling shall ride / Swift as the burning winds that bear

    Editor's note

    The mother envisions her child's dream as a genuine adventure — a quick ride past the Sphinx's stone face, across the desert, heading towards green palms and refreshing wells. The imagery transitions from dark and eerie to warm and vibrant, reflecting the protective cocoon a mother's imagination creates around her child, even while they sleep.

  4. I know no king but my dark-eyed dear / That shall ride the Dream-Horse white;

    Editor's note

    The mother's declaration serves as the emotional high point of the poem. To her, her child *is* the king — the only king who truly matters. The Sphinx's age-old, political notion of kingship is quietly overshadowed by her maternal love. As the child stirs awake at her breast, the Dream-Horse eagerly waits to whisk him away once more into sleep, merging the real and the mythic in a single tender moment.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The mother's voice is tender and soft like a lullaby, while the Sphinx's tone carries a mournful, haunting quality. Field manages to maintain both tones simultaneously, ensuring that neither overshadows the other. The outcome feels like a bedtime story shared at the boundary of something ancient and deeply sorrowful — equally intimate and eerie.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The Sphinx
The Sphinx represents time, longing, and the burden of history. It has waited for centuries for a king who never arrived, becoming a symbol of devotion that transcends its original purpose — a dark reflection of a mother's own fierce, enduring love.
The Dream-Horse
The white Dream-Horse carries children into the realm of sleep and imagination. It embodies the enchanting, safe world that exists in a child's dreams — a place the mother can envision but cannot access.
The King
The king holds a unique significance for each voice in the poem. To the Sphinx, he represents a Pharaoh—a symbol of power and ancient promise. For the mother, her child is the true king, turning a tale of political authority into a heartfelt expression of unconditional love.
The Desert
The desert lies between the ancient world and today — vast, haunting, and indifferent. The child’s dream journey across it implies that love and imagination can bridge even the bleakest distances.
The Wells and Palms
The green oasis at the end of the dream ride symbolizes safety, nourishment, and rest—the kind of destination a caring mother envisions for her child, a comforting spot beyond the eerie darkness.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Eugene Field was an American journalist and poet based in Chicago during the 1880s and early 1890s. Today, he's best known for writing "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" and "Little Boy Blue." He produced a wealth of work aimed at children and their parents, firmly rooted in the Victorian tradition of sentimental poetry about childhood and family. His poem "Mother and Sphinx" is subtitled "Egyptian Folk-Song," a title Field created himself. This choice adds an exotic, ancient vibe to the piece while keeping its emotional heart focused on home life. The poem came out at a time when Western interest in ancient Egypt was on the rise, sparked by new archaeological finds and popular journalism. Field didn't use this cultural backdrop for flashy effects; instead, he contrasts the grandeur of the Sphinx with a mother's everyday love, making her quiet heroism stand out even more.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

There are two distinct voices in the poem. The plain (non-italic) stanzas represent the mother singing a lullaby and speaking to the Sphinx. The italic lines are the Sphinx's responses — its ancient, sorrowful cries filling the night. Field alternates between the two, creating a conversation that spans across centuries.

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Themes in this poem

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