Who is the 'dear girl with velvet eyes'?

This is Field's wife, Julia Sutherland Comstock, whom he married in 1873. When he says "keeping sweet sixteen," he's complimenting her—he means she has remained youthful and loving, which helps make his own aging feel a bit less bleak.

What does 'À bas with thirty-nine' mean?

*À bas* is French for "down with" — the sort of phrase you'd hear at a protest. Field uses it humorously, casting his own birthday as a political foe that needs to be toppled. It's all in good fun and adds a theatrical flair.

Why does Field say thirty-nine 'doesn't mean a thing'?

He's toying with the social significance of round numbers. Thirty-five feels like a milestone, forty certainly does — but thirty-nine is just an odd number in between, lacking any cultural significance. That's the punchline, as well as the reason for his mock outrage.

What is the poem's structure?

It's made up of seven stanzas, each with eight lines, using a mix of iambic tetrameter and trimeter. This ballad-like meter creates a lively, singable rhythm. The rhyme scheme follows an ABABCDCD pattern consistently, making it pleasing to listen to.

Does the poem have a serious side, or is it all a joke?

Both. There's a real anxiety about being in-between — not young, but not quite old either — and the tenderness he feels for his wife and children comes through sincerely. Yet Field uses humor to keep the poem from veering into self-pity. The joke carries the emotion.

What does ''twixt devil and deep sea' mean?

It's an old idiom that refers to being stuck between two equally poor choices — similar to saying "between a rock and a hard place." Field uses it to illustrate the struggle between youth and old age, but he turns the meaning on its head: he concludes that the middle ground is actually where he prefers to be.

How does the ending differ from the beginning?

The poem begins with "O hapless day! O wretched day!" and ends with "O happy day! O gracious day!"—a nearly exact reversal. Field crafts the entire poem as a journey from feigned sorrow to true joy, and that reflective start and finish gives the arc a sense of wholeness and fulfillment.

The Annotated Edition

THIRTY-NINE by Eugene Field

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

Read aloud in ~3 minOpen reading mode →

A poet wakes up on his thirty-ninth birthday, grumbling that this age feels awkward and pointless.

Poet: Eugene Field
Themes: family, identity, love

The PoemFull text

THIRTY-NINE

Eugene Field

O hapless day! O wretched day! I hoped you'd pass me by-- Alas, the years have sneaked away And all is changed but I! Had I the power, I would remand You to a gloom condign, But here you've crept upon me and I--I am thirty-nine! Now, were I thirty-five, I could Assume a flippant guise; Or, were I forty years, I should Undoubtedly look wise; For forty years are said to bring Sedateness superfine; But thirty-nine don't mean a thing-- _À bas_ with thirty-nine! You healthy, hulking girls and boys,-- What makes you grow so fast? Oh, I'll survive your lusty noise-- I'm tough and bound to last! No, no--I'm old and withered too-- I feel my powers decline (Yet none believes this can be true Of one at thirty-nine). And you, dear girl with velvet eyes, I wonder what you mean Through all our keen anxieties By keeping sweet sixteen. With your dear love to warm my heart, Wretch were I to repine; I was but jesting at the start-- I'm glad I'm thirty-nine! So, little children, roar and race As blithely as you can, And, sweetheart, let your tender grace Exalt the Day and Man; For then these factors (I'll engage) All subtly shall combine To make both juvenile and sage The one who's thirty-nine! Yes, after all, I'm free to say I would much rather be Standing as I do stand to-day, 'Twixt devil and deep sea; For though my face be dark with care Or with a grimace shine, Each haply falls unto my share, For I am thirty-nine! 'Tis passing meet to make good cheer And lord it like a king, Since only once we catch the year That doesn't mean a thing. O happy day! O gracious day! I pledge thee in this wine-- Come, let us journey on our way A year, good Thirty-Nine! Sept. 2, 1889.

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A poet wakes up on his thirty-ninth birthday, grumbling that this age feels awkward and pointless. However, he shifts his mindset by thinking about his children and his sweetheart, which lifts his spirits. By the end, he raises a glass and concludes that thirty-nine is actually quite wonderful — or at least deserving of a celebration, since it only comes around once.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

O hapless day! O wretched day! / I hoped you'd pass me by--
Editor's note
Field opens with a mock-dramatic sense of outrage, as if the birthday itself is an unwelcome guest he tried to avoid. The line "the years have sneaked away" introduces the poem's humor: time slips by quietly, leaving the speaker feeling surprised, unchanged in spirit while the calendar keeps moving forward.
Now, were I thirty-five, I could / Assume a flippant guise;
Editor's note
This stanza captures the poem's comic essence. At thirty-five, you’re still carefree, and at forty, you have a sense of dignity — but thirty-nine lands awkwardly in the middle, a time that "don't mean a thing." The French phrase *À bas* ("down with") gives a dramatic flair, suggesting that Field is putting on a show with his complaint rather than genuinely feeling it.
You healthy, hulking girls and boys,-- / What makes you grow so fast?
Editor's note
The speaker glances at his children and pretends to be the weary old man for a moment, but quickly counters with: "I'm tough and here to stay!" Then he shifts again — "No, no—I'm old and frail" — followed by a wink that suggests no one really thinks he's falling apart. This quick back-and-forth captures the way people often navigate their feelings about aging, especially around birthdays.
And you, dear girl with velvet eyes, / I wonder what you mean
Editor's note
The mood shifts to a warm tone here. The "dear girl" who remains "sweet sixteen" is his wife, and her youthful spirit makes his complaints seem trivial. Her love washes away the self-pity, and Field confesses he was only joking all along. This stanza serves as the emotional turning point of the entire poem.
So, little children, roar and race / As blithely as you can,
Editor's note
Having come to terms with his age, the speaker encourages the children to be loud and joyful. He believes that their energy, combined with his sweetheart's grace, will help him feel both young and wise — truly the best of both worlds. The tone feels genuinely warm instead of just putting on a grumpy act.
Yes, after all, I'm free to say / I would much rather be
Editor's note
"'Twixt devil and deep sea" is a well-known saying for being stuck between two undesirable choices. However, Field approaches it with a light touch — at thirty-nine, he finds himself between youth and old age, and he embraces the middle ground as a perfectly good place to be. Whether his expression reflects worry or laughter, both are genuine and uniquely his.
'Tis passing meet to make good cheer / And lord it like a king,
Editor's note
The final stanza brings everything full circle. The "hapless day" at the start transforms into a "happy day" and a "gracious day." Field raises a glass of wine to celebrate the year, inviting thirty-nine to join him as a companion. Instead of ending on a note of sorrow, the poem concludes with a birthday toast, which was the intended destination all along.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

Playfully self-deprecating and warm, Field expresses exaggerated despair much like someone at a birthday party—grinning even while complaining. The tone transitions from mock outrage to genuine tenderness in the middle stanzas, ultimately settling on cheerful acceptance. It never dives into darkness; instead, it feels like a man who relishes the ritual of pretending to be unhappy about aging.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Thirty-nine: The age itself symbolizes that awkward phase — not young enough to be carefree and not old enough to earn automatic respect. By the end, Field makes it uniquely his own, a year that "only comes once."
The dear girl with velvet eyes: The speaker's wife embodies love as a remedy for self-pity. Her "sweet sixteen" spirit — full of warmth and youthful energy — is what truly lifts his birthday blues and keeps him grounded in the moment.
The children roaring and racing: The "healthy, hulking girls and boys" symbolize vitality and the visible passage of time. They grow quickly, which makes the speaker uneasy, yet their noise and energy also serve as a reminder that life remains vibrant and full around him.
The wine / toast: The glass of wine in the final stanza represents a traditional symbol of celebration and acceptance. By raising it to the year, Field shows that he has decided to stop resisting his birthday and is ready to embrace it as a companion for the journey ahead.
'Twixt devil and deep sea: This idiom, usually referring to a hopeless dilemma, is reinterpreted here as the intriguing space between youth and old age. It represents the bittersweet yet manageable experience of middle life.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Eugene Field penned this poem on September 2, 1889—his thirty-ninth birthday. By then, he was already a well-known figure across America, celebrated for his work as a newspaper columnist and poet, especially for his touching children's verses like "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod." Much of his career unfolded at the *Chicago Morning News* (which later became the *Chicago Daily News*), where his column "Sharps and Flats" blended humor, literary critique, and personal insights. This poem fits neatly into that journalistic, conversational style—it feels as much like a column entry as it does a lyric poem. As a devoted family man with several children, his affectionate mentions of his kids and wife make perfect sense. Tragically, he passed away just six years after writing this poem, at the age of forty-five, lending an unintended depth to the poem's jokes about aging when viewed in hindsight.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

It's a birthday poem that Field wrote for himself on his thirty-ninth birthday. He playfully expresses his shock at reaching this age, claims it feels too strange to hold any significance, and then convinces himself to celebrate by reflecting on his wife and children.

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THIRTY-NINE by Eugene Field

THIRTY-NINE

What this poem is about

Recurring themes

Stanza by stanza, with notes

How this poem feels

Symbols & metaphors

Historical context

Questions readers ask

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