Lullaby

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a somber picture of an ending, a final surrender. The opening "Hush, lullay" sets a tone of quiet finality, not of comfort but of resignation. The narrator observes the decay of worldly possessions and fleeting joys, noting how "treasures all / Encrust with rust" and "trinket pleasures fall / To dust." This imagery suggests a life that has lost its luster, where what once held value has now become worthless and forgotten. The central tension lies in the contrast between a past of engagement and a present of inevitable decline. The "sapphire arch" and "grassy floor" might evoke a once-beautiful setting, but now "is nothing more / To hold." The narrator explicitly states, "play is over-old," indicating a profound weariness with life's pursuits. The physical manifestation of this decline is evident in the description of the subject's eyes, which "In sleepy fever gleam," their "lids droop / To their dream," suggesting a fading consciousness. The most striking aspect is the stark, almost clinical depiction of the body's deterioration. Phrases like "You wander late alone" and the visceral "The flesh frets on the bone" strip away any pretense of comfort or romanticism. This is followed by the blunt assessment, "Your love fails in your breast," a profound statement of emotional and physical depletion. The finality is underscored by the simple, direct offering: "Here is the pillow. / Rest."