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To Cinna by Eugene Field

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A grieving speaker talks to Cinna, a dear one who has passed away, connecting their loss to that of an ancient Roman poet who also mourned his Cinna long ago.

Poet
Eugene Field
Core theme
Death
The PoemFull text

To Cinna

Eugene Field

Cinna, the great Venusian told In songs that will not die How in Augustan days of old Your love did glorify His life and all his being seemed Thrilled by that rare incense Till, grudging him the dreams he dreamed, The gods did call you hence. Cinna, I've looked into your eyes, And held your hands in mine, And seen your cheeks in sweet surprise Blush red as Massic wine; Now let the songs in Cinna's praise Be chanted once again, For, oh! alone I walk the ways We walked together then! Perhaps upon some star to-night, So far away in space I cannot see that beacon light Nor feel its soothing grace-- Perhaps from that far-distant sphere Her quickened vision seeks For this poor heart of mine that here To its lost Cinna speaks. Then search this heart, beloved eyes, And find it still as true As when in all my boyhood skies My guiding stars were you! Cinna, you know the mystery That is denied to men-- Mine is the lot to feel that we Shall elsewhere love again!

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

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§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A grieving speaker talks to Cinna, a dear one who has passed away, connecting their loss to that of an ancient Roman poet who also mourned his Cinna long ago. The poem flows through themes of memory, longing, and the night sky, ultimately resting on a strong conviction that the two lovers will reunite beyond death. It serves as both a love poem and a grief poem, concluding not with despair but with a quiet, determined hope.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Cinna, the great Venusian told / In songs that will not die

    Editor's note

    The speaker begins by referencing a Roman poet from Venusia — a nod to Horace, who hailed from there and wrote about a beloved named Cinna. By tying his own sorrow to ancient poetry, the speaker suggests that this type of loss has been felt throughout the ages. The phrase "songs that will not die" highlights a stark contrast: the poems endure, while the beloved does not.

  2. Cinna, I've looked into your eyes, / And held your hands in mine,

    Editor's note

    The poem transitions from references to classical themes to tangible, personal memories. The speaker provides specific sensory details — eyes, hands, blushing cheeks — to emphasize that this is not just an abstract literary exercise but a genuine, emotional loss. By comparing Cinna's blush to Massic wine, a valued Roman vintage, the poem maintains a connection to the classical world while rooting the emotion in something warm and intimate. The final couplet expresses the grief directly: the speaker now walks alone on the paths they once shared.

  3. Perhaps upon some star to-night, / So far away in space

    Editor's note

    The speaker gazes upward, envisioning Cinna among the stars, perhaps on a faraway planet. The use of "perhaps" reveals true uncertainty—it's not a bold theological statement, but rather a heartfelt, almost desperate hope. The star feels too distant to see or touch, reflecting the deep helplessness that comes with grief: the loved one exists somewhere, yet is utterly unreachable.

  4. Then search this heart, beloved eyes, / And find it still as true

    Editor's note

    The final stanza shifts focus, directly addressing Cinna as if she can hear the speaker. He asks her to look back at him from wherever she is and to see that his love remains unchanged. The closing lines transition from doubt to certainty: the speaker boldly declares — not hopes, but *declares* — that they will love again in another life. This marks the emotional and spiritual high point of the poem, replacing the earlier "perhaps" with a firm, confident assertion of faith.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is tender and elegiac—mournful yet never bitter. Field writes with the quiet ache of someone who has come to terms with a loss, though not entirely at peace with it. The language has a classical composure that prevents the emotion from becoming overly sentimental, and the final stanza elevates the poem into something resembling serene conviction rather than just raw grief.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The star
The distant, invisible star symbolizes both the afterlife and Cinna herself — alive in the speaker's imagination but entirely out of reach. Its light is described as "soothing" yet unattainable, reflecting the dual nature of believing in an afterlife: it offers comfort in theory but brings pain in reality.
The shared path / ways
"The ways we walked together then" evokes a powerful image of grief: a path that now symbolizes the absence of the person who once shared it with you. Walking alone on that route, where you used to walk together, makes the reality of loss feel tangible and real.
Massic wine
A well-known Roman wine that describes the hue of Cinna's blush. It serves a dual purpose—it preserves the classical context while also conveying warmth, pleasure, and vitality, all of which the speaker has now lost.
Boyhood skies / guiding stars
The speaker likens Cinna to the stars that illuminated his youth, portraying her as both a guiding light in his personal journey and a symbol of his moral and emotional compass. Without her, it suggests he's left to find his way by recalling the past alone.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Meter
iambic tetrameter
Rhyme
ABABCDCD EFEFGHGH IJIJKLKL MNMNOpop

§07Historical context

Historical context

Eugene Field was a journalist and poet based in Chicago, remembered primarily for his children's poems like "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod." However, he also penned deeply personal lyric poetry. This particular poem came out in the late 19th century, a time when sentimental poetry about death and reunion resonated strongly in American culture. This popularity arose partly due to high death rates, particularly among the young, leading readers to seek poetry that provided solace. Field had a strong background in classical literature and often included Latin references in his writing. The "great Venusian" refers to Horace, who was born in Venusia in southern Italy, while the Cinna of ancient Rome appears in various classical works. By using that name and tapping into that literary tradition, Field lends a timeless dignity to his own personal sorrow. The poem blends elements of classical elegy with Victorian consolation verse.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

Who is the 'great Venusian' mentioned in the first stanza?

This refers to Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus), the Roman lyric poet from Venusia, born around 65 BCE. Field suggests that even in ancient Rome, a poet experienced love and loss with someone named Cinna, linking his own sorrow to a tradition that goes back two thousand years.

Is Cinna a real person or a literary device?

Field never explicitly names Cinna, and scholars haven't linked the name to any specific individual in his life. Cinna might be a real, cherished figure made anonymous through a classical pseudonym—a typical approach in love poetry since Roman times—or it could be entirely fictional. Regardless, the emotion feels authentic.

What does 'Massic wine' mean?

Massic (or Massicum) was a well-respected wine from the Campania region of ancient Italy, often lauded by Horace. Field uses it to illustrate the deep red blush on Cinna's cheeks, and this classical reference subtly reinforces the Horatian context of the entire poem.

Why does the speaker keep saying 'perhaps' in the third stanza but then sound certain in the fourth?

The shift is intentional and emotionally sincere. The third stanza expresses real uncertainty — the speaker doesn't know where Cinna is or if she can see him. However, by the final stanza, grief transforms into faith: "Mine is the lot to feel that we / Shall elsewhere love again." This isn't a logical argument; it's a statement the heart makes out of necessity.

What is the poem's rhyme scheme?

Each stanza uses an ABABCDCD alternating rhyme scheme, with lines that shift between about four and three stresses, resembling a ballad-like meter known as common meter or hymn meter. This structure lends the poem a consistent, song-like feel that complements its mournful tone.

What does 'the gods did call you hence' mean?

It means Cinna has died. Field uses classical language — describing the gods taking someone away — to soften the harshness of death and imply that this loss was not a random event, but rather something fated, offering a slight comfort inherent in the wording.

Is this poem about romantic love or could it be about a friend or family member?

The language—"beloved eyes," holding hands, the blush, the declaration of love—clearly indicates romantic feelings. However, Field's poetry frequently mixes romantic and familial love, and the phrase "in all my boyhood skies" implies that Cinna was present in his life from an early age. Some readers interpret this as referencing a childhood sweetheart or a person who embodied both friendship and romantic affection.

How does this poem fit into the tradition of elegy?

Classical elegy expresses sorrow for a loss and typically transitions toward some form of comfort. Field adheres to this pattern closely: the first two stanzas focus on grief and memory, the third explores cosmic uncertainty, and the fourth offers resolution through faith. What sets it apart is that the consolation feels personal and almost defiant — instead of saying "she is at peace," it asserts "we will love again."

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Field, Eugene. "To Cinna." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/to-cinna-eugene-field/.

APA

Field, E. (n.d.). To cinna. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/to-cinna-eugene-field/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

Row A — Thesis

1 pt

In Eugene Field's elegy 'To Cinna,' the speaker's repeated apostrophe to a dead beloved transforms grief into an act of cosmological faith: by insisting that 'we / Shall elsewhere love again,' Field reframes mourning not as an ending but as …

  • Row B — Evidence + Commentary4 pts
  • Row C — Sophistication1 pt
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