THE ROCK-A-BY LADY by Eugene Field: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
These two brief poems by Eugene Field cherish the enchanting moments of bedtime and the playful interactions between parents and children.
The poem
The Rock-a-By Lady from Hushaby street Comes stealing; comes creeping; The poppies they hang from her head to her feet, And each hath a dream that is tiny and fleet-- She bringeth her poppies to you, my sweet, When she findeth you sleeping! There is one little dream of a beautiful drum-- "Rub-a-dub!" it goeth; There is one little dream of a big sugar-plum, And lo! thick and fast the other dreams come Of popguns that bang, and tin tops that hum, And a trumpet that bloweth! And dollies peep out of those wee little dreams With laughter and singing; And boats go a-floating on silvery streams, And the stars peek-a-boo with their own misty gleams, And up, up, and up, where the Mother Moon beams, The fairies go winging! Would you dream all these dreams that are tiny and fleet? They'll come to you sleeping; So shut the two eyes that are weary, my sweet, For the Rock-a-By Lady from Hushaby street, With poppies that hang from her head to her feet, Comes stealing; comes creeping. "BOOH!" On afternoons, when baby boy has had a splendid nap, And sits, like any monarch on his throne, in nurse's lap, In some such wise my handkerchief I hold before my face, And cautiously and quietly I move about the place; Then, with a cry, I suddenly expose my face to view, And you should hear him laugh and crow when I say "Booh"! Sometimes the rascal tries to make believe that he is scared, And really, when I first began, he stared, and stared, and stared; And then his under lip came out and farther out it came, Till mamma and the nurse agreed it was a "cruel shame"-- But now what does that same wee, toddling, lisping baby do But laugh and kick his little heels when I say "Booh!" He laughs and kicks his little heels in rapturous glee, and then In shrill, despotic treble bids me "do it all aden!" And I--of course I do it; for, as his progenitor, It is such pretty, pleasant play as this that I am for! And it is, oh, such fun I am sure that we shall rue The time when we are both too old to play the game "Booh!"
These two brief poems by Eugene Field cherish the enchanting moments of bedtime and the playful interactions between parents and children. "The Rock-a-By Lady" is a lullaby featuring a dream-bringer who sprinkles sleep and sweet visions upon a child, while "Booh!" captures the sheer joy of a father playing peekaboo with his baby. Together, they create a heartwarming image of early childhood as a time filled with wonder, safety, and happiness.
Line-by-line
The Rock-a-By Lady from Hushaby street / Comes stealing; comes creeping;
There is one little dream of a beautiful drum-- / "Rub-a-dub!" it goeth;
And dollies peep out of those wee little dreams / With laughter and singing;
Would you dream all these dreams that are tiny and fleet? / They'll come to you sleeping;
On afternoons, when baby boy has had a splendid nap, / And sits, like any monarch on his throne, in nurse's lap,
Sometimes the rascal tries to make believe that he is scared, / And really, when I first began, he stared, and stared, and stared;
He laughs and kicks his little heels in rapturous glee, and then / In shrill, despotic treble bids me "do it all aden!"
And it is, oh, such fun I am sure that we shall rue / The time when we are both too old to play the game "Booh!"
Tone & mood
Both poems exude warmth, playfulness, and tenderness. "The Rock-a-By Lady" has a dreamy, lilting quality that perfectly fits its lullaby purpose, with a soft musicality woven through each line. On the other hand, "Booh!" feels brighter and more humorous, capturing the voice of a delighted father who happily makes a fool of himself to entertain his child. Yet, beneath the playful surface of "Booh!" lies a subtle thread of gentle melancholy; the father is already aware that this joyful stage of life won't last forever. Field skillfully balances this sadness, allowing it to add depth to the poem without overwhelming its lightheartedness.
Symbols & metaphors
- Poppies — Poppies have long been linked to sleep, primarily due to their connection with opium. In Field's work, they serve as the defining characteristic of the Rock-a-By Lady, embodying sleep itself. For a child, poppies are just beautiful flowers; for an adult, they evoke the deeper notion of serene, peaceful unconsciousness.
- The Rock-a-By Lady — She embodies sleep and the dream state, a gentle figure you can trust with a child. By naming sleep, giving it a street address, and a physical presence, Field transforms falling asleep into a friendly visit rather than just a natural occurrence.
- The Mother Moon — The moon rules the dream world at the peak of the poem's rising imagery. Referring to her as 'Mother' links her to nurturing, safety, and the feminine energy that flows throughout the lullaby. She represents the ultimate destination for the dreaming child.
- The game of 'Booh!' — Peekaboo is one of the oldest and most universal games played between parents and children. In the poem, it represents a whole range of simple, joyful interactions that mark early parenthood. The father's fear of the day when they are 'both too old' for it turns the game into a symbol of how quickly time passes and how fleeting childhood can be.
- Toys (drum, sugar-plum, popgun, tin top, trumpet) — The Victorian-era toys mentioned in the dream stanza aren’t just random decorations. They embody the tangible world of a child's wishes: noise, sweetness, movement, and play. By specifying real objects, Field grounds the fantasy in something a child can vividly imagine and desire.
Historical context
Eugene Field was an American journalist and poet based in Chicago during the 1880s and 1890s. He became widely recognized for his children's poetry, earning him the nickname "the poet of childhood." He wrote both poems in this pair for a general newspaper audience when sentimental verse about family life and children was especially popular. "The Rock-a-By Lady" draws inspiration from a long tradition of lullabies that personify sleep, ranging from classical mythology's Morpheus to various folk songs across Europe. "Booh!" embodies the emerging Victorian middle-class ideal of the caring and engaged father. Field experienced the loss of several of his children, lending a quietly poignant backdrop to his otherwise cheerful poems about childhood. Both works were included in his 1889 collection *With Trumpet and Drum*.
FAQ
It's a lullaby about a magical figure who visits sleeping children to bring them sweet dreams. The Rock-a-By Lady represents sleep itself, carrying poppies—often seen as a symbol of sleep—and delivering tiny, fleeting dreams filled with toys, dolls, boats, stars, and fairies.
Poppies have been associated with sleep for millennia due to the opium poppy's ability to induce drowsiness. In poetry, they serve as a delicate, evocative symbol of the capacity to usher in slumber. To children listening to the poem, they are merely beautiful flowers; however, the more profound connection resonates with adults.
'Fleet' refers to something that is fast or fleeting, which in this context means that dreams come and go quickly. The phrase 'tiny and fleet' beautifully illustrates the nature of children's dreams: they are small, vivid, and vanish before you can truly grasp them.
It's a father's story about playing peekaboo with his baby son. The poem captures the baby's initial confusion, his joy when he finally gets the game, and the father's bittersweet realization that one day they'll both outgrow this playful moment.
It's a playful comic contrast. Using grand, formal words in a poem about peekaboo adds to the humor. When he refers to himself as a 'progenitor' (a fancy term for father) while engaging in silly games with a baby, Field is gently poking fun at his own adult dignity.
Mostly happy, but 'Booh!' carries a subtle sadness in its closing lines. The father realizes this moment is fleeting and feels a touch of nostalgia. In contrast, 'The Rock-a-By Lady' is more dreamlike and uplifting, although the poppies hint at a faint connection to oblivion for readers who notice it.
Both poems were included in Field's 1889 collection *With Trumpet and Drum*, which features children's verse. The title reflects the playful toy imagery that Field enjoyed, with the drum appearing as one of the dream-toys in 'The Rock-a-By Lady.'
'The Rock-a-By Lady' is still one of Field's most famous lullabies and continues to show up in collections of children's poetry. While 'Booh!' isn’t reprinted as often, it has become a favorite for those who come across Field's work, as its genuine portrayal of parenthood resonates just as deeply today as it did back in the 1880s.