The Treasure of My Heart

Song Meaning

The narrator implores sleep to protect the object of their affection, describing her eyes as "fair lids" and "beams" that are the "age's only light." This intense devotion suggests a profound admiration, bordering on worship. The speaker sees her spirit as too powerful for her physical form, hence the need for sleep to provide "ease" and prevent her "sense too weak" from being overwhelmed. It's a plea for her well-being, framed through a lens of almost divine reverence. The central tension arises from the narrator's desire to interact with this beloved person, even in sleep, while simultaneously needing to keep her safe from any disturbance. The narrator wishes for sleep to "harbour all her parts in easeful plight," guarding her against "strange dream[s]" that might cause her to "start." This protective instinct is so strong that the narrator is willing to sacrifice their own presence, wishing for sleep to take their "shape" and "play a lover's part." The most striking craft element is the personification of sleep and dreams. The narrator directly addresses "O sleep" and "O dream," commanding and bargaining with them. This elevated, almost theatrical address underscores the depth of the narrator's feelings. The final lines, "Till her eyes shine, I live in darkness night," powerfully contrast the beloved's potential radiance with the narrator's own perceived gloom, highlighting their dependence on her presence for their own sense of light and life.