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THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD by Eugene Field

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Robin Hood, on his deathbed, requests Little John to shoot one final arrow and lay him to rest where it lands — deep within the beloved greenwood.

Poet
Eugene Field
Themes
death, freedom, memory
The PoemFull text

THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD

Eugene Field

"Give me my bow," said Robin Hood, "An arrow give to me; And where 't is shot mark thou that spot, For there my grave shall be." Then Little John did make no sign, And not a word he spake; But he smiled, altho' with mickle woe His heart was like to break. He raised his master in his arms, And set him on his knee; And Robin's eyes beheld the skies, The shaws, the greenwood tree. The brook was babbling as of old, The birds sang full and clear, And the wild-flowers gay like a carpet lay In the path of the timid deer. "O Little John," said Robin Hood, "Meseemeth now to be Standing with you so stanch and true Under the greenwood tree. "And all around I hear the sound Of Sherwood long ago, And my merry men come back again,-- You know, sweet friend, you know! "Now mark this arrow; where it falls, When I am dead dig deep, And bury me there in the greenwood where I would forever sleep." He twanged his bow. Upon its course The clothyard arrow sped, And when it fell in yonder dell, Brave Robin Hood was dead. The sheriff sleeps in a marble vault, The king in a shroud of gold; And upon the air with a chanted pray'r Mingles the mock of mould. But the deer draw to the shady pool, The birds sing blithe and free, And the wild-flow'rs bloom o'er a hidden tomb Under the greenwood tree. "LOLLYBY, LOLLY, LOLLYBY" Last night, whiles that the curfew bell ben ringing, I heard a moder to her dearie singing "Lollyby, lolly, lollyby." And presently that chylde did cease hys weeping, And on his moder's breast did fall a-sleeping, To "lolly, lolly, lollyby." Faire ben the chylde unto his moder clinging, But fairer yet the moder's gentle singing,-- "Lollyby, lolly, lollyby." And angels came and kisst the dearie smiling In dreems while him hys moder ben beguiling With "lolly, lolly, lollyby!" Then to my harte saies I, "Oh, that thy beating Colde be assuaged by some swete voice repeating 'Lollyby, lolly, lollyby;' That like this lyttel chylde I, too, ben sleeping With plaisaunt phantasies about me creeping, To 'lolly, lolly, lollyby!'" Sometime--mayhap when curfew bells are ringing-- A weary harte shall heare straunge voices singing, "Lollyby, lolly, lollyby;" Sometime, mayhap, with Chrysts love round me streaming, I shall be lulled into eternal dreeming With "lolly, lolly, lollyby."

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

Robin Hood, on his deathbed, requests Little John to shoot one final arrow and lay him to rest where it lands — deep within the beloved greenwood. The poem concludes by highlighting the overshadowed splendor of kings and sheriffs against the vibrant forest that silently preserves Robin's legacy.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. "Give me my bow," said Robin Hood, / "An arrow give to me;"

    Editor's note

    Robin's final wish is distinctly his own: no priest, no ceremony, just his bow. He wants his burial site to be determined by the one object that defined his life. This establishes the tone right away — this is a death that reflects Robin's own choices.

  2. Then Little John did make no sign, / And not a word he spake;

    Editor's note

    Little John's silence speaks volumes. He doesn't argue or express his grief — he simply follows his master's requests. The fact that he *smiled* even as his heart shattered is deeply heartbreaking, showcasing the loyalty of someone who prioritizes the dying man's peace over his own.

  3. He raised his master in his arms, / And set him on his knee;

    Editor's note

    Little John cradles Robin like a child, lifting him to catch a final glimpse of the forest. The physical tenderness of a big, strong man holding his dying friend highlights the depth of their bond without veering into sentimentality.

  4. The brook was babbling as of old, / The birds sang full and clear,

    Editor's note

    Nature continues on, indifferent and eternal. The brook, the birds, the wildflowers, and the deer — the forest doesn't grieve. This isn't cruelty; it's actually a source of comfort. The world Robin cherished remains unchanged, and that’s what he witnesses as he moves forward.

  5. "O Little John," said Robin Hood, / "Meseemeth now to be"

    Editor's note

    Robin starts to drift between past and present. He *appears* to be standing under the greenwood tree once more, youthful and complete. This vision is fading, but Field presents it softly — not as a delusion but as the mind revisiting its happiest memory.

  6. "And all around I hear the sound / Of Sherwood long ago,"

    Editor's note

    The merry men return to Robin's thoughts. He recalls Sherwood in its heyday. The line "You know, sweet friend, you know!" captures the poem's most intimate moment—Robin connecting with the one person who shares all his memories.

  7. "Now mark this arrow; where it falls, / When I am dead dig deep,"

    Editor's note

    Robin calmly delivers his final instruction. He prefers to be buried in the greenwood rather than in a churchyard or vault. The word "forever" indicates that this isn't about giving up; it's a deliberate choice, and he feels at peace with it.

  8. He twanged his bow. Upon its course / The clothyard arrow sped,

    Editor's note

    The action unfolds quickly and smoothly. Robin takes aim, the arrow lands in a dell, and he meets his end — all in just four lines. Field doesn’t dwell on the death. The arrow's flight represents Robin's final display of skill and determination, and that suffices.

  9. The sheriff sleeps in a marble vault, / The king in a shroud of gold;

    Editor's note

    Here, the poem shifts to its main point. The wealthy men Robin stood against lie in lavish tombs, but "mingles the mock of mould" — their grand resting places are just as prone to decay and ridicule as any poor person's grave. Ultimately, wealth means nothing.

  10. But the deer draw to the shady pool, / The birds sing blithe and free,

    Editor's note

    The final stanza responds to the one before it. Robin's unmarked grave in the greenwood isn't a lesser thing—it's actually a better one. The living forest cares for it. Wildflowers grow over him. He wished to rest in the greenwood for eternity, and the poem's last image shows that he achieved just that.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

Elegiac yet not mournful. Field maintains a restrained and dignified tone—grief lingers beneath every stanza, but it never erupts into tears. The final shift feels almost triumphant, quietly affirming that Robin's way of dying was the right choice.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The bow and arrow
Robin's defining tool becomes his death rite. By shooting the final arrow, he asserts his identity one last time and allows fate — or the forest — to decide where he rests. This way, he dies as himself, not as a patient lying in a bed.
The greenwood tree
The forest embodies freedom, camaraderie, and a sense of home simultaneously. It opens and closes the poem, creating a frame for the entire piece. To be enveloped by it symbolizes the deepest form of belonging to a place, transcending any ties to institutions or social status.
The marble vault and shroud of gold
These symbolize worldly power and its pretensions. The sheriff and king dedicated their lives to opposing Robin's values, and their grand tombs are revealed to be empty — "the mock of mould" brings them down to the same level.
The wild-flowers over the hidden tomb
Robin's grave remains unmarked and concealed, but nature adorns it in its own way. The wildflowers serve as a natural tribute, more genuine and enduring than any engraved stone.
Little John's silence
His silence and lack of protest show a loyalty that runs deeper than words. It also signals acceptance — he respects Robin's wish, even if it costs him everything.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Eugene Field wrote this poem in the late 19th century, inspired by the age-old Robin Hood ballad tradition that dates back to medieval England. During the Victorian era, the legend experienced a significant revival, with writers and artists portraying the Sherwood Forest outlaw as a figure of freedom and natural justice. Field, an American journalist and poet known for his sentimental verse and children's poetry, adds a tender, reflective quality to the death scene found in older ballads like "Robin Hood's Death." In those earlier versions, Robin is betrayed and bled to death by a treacherous prioress; however, Field removes that sense of betrayal and centers the poem on the farewell between Robin and Little John, turning it into a meditation on dying gracefully and the lasting influence of nature over human pretense. The poem emerged at a time when American readers felt a strong nostalgia for Old English legends.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

It's about Robin Hood's death — particularly his last moments with his faithful friend Little John. Robin releases one final arrow and requests to be buried where it falls, in the forest he cherished. The poem contrasts his humble grave in the woods with the elaborate tombs of the king and sheriff, suggesting that Robin's ending is the more honorable one.

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Themes in this poem

Poems about deathPoems about freedomPoems about memoryPoems about nature