SWING HIGH AND SWING LOW by Eugene Field: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
A mother sits by the harbor, gently rocking her baby and singing a lullaby as she waits for her sailor husband to return from the sea.
The poem
Swing high and swing low While the breezes they blow-- It's off for a sailor thy father would go; And it's here in the harbor, in sight of the sea, He hath left his wee babe with my song and with me: "Swing high and swing low While the breezes they blow!" Swing high and swing low While the breezes they blow-- It's oh for the waiting as weary days go! And it's oh for the heartache that smiteth me when I sing my song over and over again: "Swing high and swing low While the breezes they blow!" "Swing high and swing low "-- The sea singeth so, And it waileth anon in its ebb and its flow; And a sleeper sleeps on to that song of the sea Nor recketh he ever of mine or of me! "Swing high and swing low While the breezes they blow-- 'T was off for a sailor thy father would go!"
A mother sits by the harbor, gently rocking her baby and singing a lullaby as she waits for her sailor husband to return from the sea. The song she sings flows with the rhythm of the waves, but beneath its soothing melody lies a profound sense of longing and worry. By the end of the song, the baby has fallen asleep, blissfully unaware of the heartache weighing on his mother.
Line-by-line
Swing high and swing low / While the breezes they blow--
Swing high and swing low / While the breezes they blow--
"Swing high and swing low" -- / The sea singeth so,
Tone & mood
Tender on the surface, but mournful underneath. Field employs the gentle, swaying rhythm of a lullaby to highlight the mother's true emotional state — the form comforts while the words subtly express sorrow. By the end, the tone transitions to something more resigned and elegiac, as the sea's wailing takes over from the mother's singing.
Symbols & metaphors
- The swing / rocking motion — The gentle sway of the cradle reflects the ebb and flow of the tides, capturing the essence of waiting — hope builds while fear recedes, again and again. It embodies the mother's emotional journey as her husband navigates the sea.
- The sea — The sea is not only what took the father away but also the force that now hums its own version of the lullaby. It remains indifferent to the family's suffering, yet it resonates with their song — becoming a symbol of fate or nature that disregards human desires.
- The lullaby refrain — The repeated lines do more than create a song—they serve as a ritual for the mother, helping her feel connected to her husband and keep the family united while he's away. Singing it "over and over again" brings both comfort and pain.
- The sleeping baby — The child's sleep at the end symbolizes innocence free from adult sorrow. He doesn't think about his mother or a song — he is at peace in a way she cannot be, which makes her loneliness feel even more intense.
- The harbor — The harbor is a threshold—the final spot where land and sea intersect, where the family was last complete. Being "in sight of the sea" means the mother can never fully turn away from what took her husband.
Historical context
Eugene Field was a prominent poet in the late nineteenth century, a time when American poetry aimed at family audiences thrived in newspapers and magazines. Based in Chicago, he earned the title "poet of childhood" and published extensively in the *Chicago Morning News*. His poems, which often focused on domestic life, the struggles of sailors' wives, and the absence of fathers, resonated with a deep cultural anxiety—maritime work was perilous, communication was slow, and many families faced long periods of waiting. Field's writing emerged during a sentimental era that didn't shy away from exploring grief in poems meant for a general audience, including children. His well-known pieces, such as "Little Boy Blue" and "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod," masterfully use a soft, musical quality to convey significant emotional depth. "Swing High and Swing Low" is another example that fits perfectly within this tradition.
FAQ
The speaker is a mother and a sailor's wife, gently rocking her baby in a cradle by the harbor while her husband is away at sea. She sings the lullaby, experiencing the heartache that the poem captures.
"Recketh" is an archaic term that translates to "cares" or "takes notice of." This line suggests that the sleeping baby is completely unaware of his mother's song or her presence — he has fallen into a deep, peaceful sleep. It's a bittersweet moment: the lullaby has done its job, but now the mother is left alone with her sorrow.
By the third stanza, the mother’s sorrow shapes how she perceives the world around her. The sea’s natural ebb and flow sounds like wailing to her in her grief. This also serves a poetic purpose — the sea seems to take over the lullaby, as if nature itself is now continuing the song that the mother began.
The poem never explicitly states that the father is dead. Instead, he has gone to sea, while the mother waits for him. However, the grief feels very real, and the sea's mournful tone in the final stanza keeps the question unresolved. Field allows the reader to sense the potential for loss without confirming it.
The poem follows a steady rhyme scheme based on couplets and a recurring refrain, featuring an AABB pattern in each stanza. This regularity resembles the gentle sway of a cradle and the rhythm of waves—the form itself provides the rocking motion. As a result, the emotional weight is intensified, as the grief is delivered in a comforting manner.
The harbor is where the family last gathered before the father set sail. Now, it’s where the mother waits, gazing at the sea that took him away. It lies between the safety of home and the peril of the open ocean, mirroring the turmoil of her emotions.
Field was known for his poems that feature a child-friendly, musical style — lullabies, nursery-rhyme rhythms, and simple refrains — to convey deep adult emotions such as grief, longing, and loss. "Swing High and Swing Low" exemplifies this approach: it has the sound of a cradle song but reads like a lament. His poems "Little Boy Blue" and "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" follow this same pattern.
The poem explores themes of loneliness and longing, depicting a mother waiting for a husband whose return is uncertain. It also examines the connection between nature—the sea and the breeze—and human emotions, highlighting how a simple song can embody both love and sorrow simultaneously.