Sweet, to have had them lost (901)

Song Meaning

This poem opens with a striking paradox: the sweetness of having something lost, specifically in anticipation of its news of being saved. It establishes a peculiar emotional landscape where absence and peril are almost cherished for the relief they promise. The narrator seems to find a profound, almost spiritual, satisfaction in the *process* of near-loss, suggesting a deep-seated appreciation for salvation that is amplified by the preceding danger. The central tension lies in the relationship between distance and closeness, loss and restoration. The lyrics state, "The nearer they departed Us / The nearer they, restored." This suggests that the very act of moving away, of being lost or endangered, paradoxically brings them closer to being found or saved. It’s a dialectic where separation is a prerequisite for ultimate reunion and heightened value. The most compelling craft element is the redefinition of preciousness. The dead are "Most precious," but then, surprisingly, "Next precious / Those that rose to go— / Then thought of Us, and stayed." This elevates not just the saved, but the *act* of nearly being lost and then choosing to return. The poem finds value in the near-miss, in the potential for loss that was ultimately averted by a conscious decision to stay, highlighting a complex emotional economy. This writing is effective because it taps into a universal human experience of relief and gratitude, but frames it through an unusual, almost theological lens. The specific phrasing, like "Sweet, to have had them lost," forces the reader to reconsider the nature of value and the emotional weight of proximity and distance. It’s the unexpected perspective on loss and salvation that makes these lines resonate.