On My First Son by Ben Jonson

‘On My First Son’ by Ben Jonson is a heart-breaking elegy written by the poet after the death of his eldest child. The poem is autobiographical, and this study guide will assume that Jonson is the speaker, and vice versa.

This study guide is written for students and teachers of English Literature, particularly those studying CCEA’s GCSE English Literature Relationships Anthology. For more study guides from this anthology, check out the Relationships page, or the list of poems in the series at the bottom of this guide. If you are studying one of the other anthologies in the CCEA Literature course, check them out here: IDENTITY Anthology or CONFLICT Anthology.

On My First Son

Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy!
My sin was too much hope of thee, loved boy;
Seven years thou wert lent to me, and I thee pay,
Exacted by thy fate, on the just day.
Oh, could I lose all father now! For why
Will man lament the state he should envy –
To have so soon ’scaped world’s and flesh’s rage,
And, if no other misery, yet age?
Rest in soft peace, and, asked, say here doth lie
Ben Jonson his best piece of poetry:
For whose sake, henceforth, all his vows be such
As what he loves may never like too much.

What is 'On My First Son' all about?

“On My First Son” by Ben Jonson is a highly emotive and honest poem written after the death of his seven-year-old son, Benjamin. Jonson expresses his grief and reflects on how much he loved his son.

He feels guilty for having high hopes for his child, calling it his “sin.” Jonson views his son’s short life as a temporary gift that has been taken back by fate. He finds some comfort in believing that his son has escaped the hardships of life and is now at peace. Jonson calls his son his “best piece of poetry,” meaning his son was his greatest creation.

In the end, he vows not to get too attached to what he loves in the future to avoid such intense pain again. The poem beautifully captures the love, grief, and acceptance that come with losing someone dear.

Context of 'On My First Son'

Ben Jonson's life, education and career

Ben Jonson was born in London in 1572. He was educated at the Westminster School, where he studied classical literature. Although he didn’t attend university, Jonson’s education deeply influenced his writing.

Jonson’s father died shortly before his birth, and his mother remarried two years later.

Jonson initially worked as a bricklayer, like his stepfather, before joining a theatre company. Jonson’s career took off with the success of his play “Every Man in His Humour” in 1598, which featured William Shakespeare as an actor. He became one of the leading dramatists of his time, writing notable plays such as “Volpone” and “The Alchemist.” Jonson was also known for his masques, and elaborate court entertainments combining music, dance, and drama. His career earned him success at the same time as other major figures were shaping the literary world alongside him: Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, Christopher Marlowe and others.

Jonson married and sadly, in 1593, his eldest daughter, Mary Jonson, died. In 1603, Jonson’s second child, his eldest son, died of the bubonic plague. This son, Benjamin, is the subject on the poem ‘On My First Son’.

In 1616, he was appointed Poet Laureate.

He died in 1637.

Context of 'On My First Son': The Bubonic Plague

The bubonic plague, or Black Death, is a significant contextual backdrop for Ben Jonson’s poem “On My First Son.” The devastating disease, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and transmitted by fleas, repeatedly ravaged Europe, including London, during the 16th and 17th centuries. The 1603 outbreak, which claimed the life of Jonson’s seven-year-old son, Benjamin, was part of a series of recurrent epidemics that brought immense suffering and high mortality rates. Symptoms of the plague included painful swollen lymph nodes, fever, and delirium, often leading to death within days.

This context of widespread fear and grief profoundly influenced Jonson’s elegy, as he grapples with the personal loss in the middle of a larger public health crisis. The poem not only reflects his grief but also the harsh realities of life during a time when death was omnipresent. It would have been impossible to avoid being shaped by the emotional turmoil of the time.

Context: elegy

An elegy is a type of poem that expresses sorrow and lamentation, typically for someone who has died. It is a reflective and often melancholic piece that mourns the loss of a loved one, celebrates their life, and sometimes seeks consolation or understanding in the face of grief.

The tradition of elegy dates back to ancient Greek and Roman literature, where poets like Ovid and Virgil crafted emotive verses in memory of the deceased. In the context of Ben Jonson’s “On My First Son,” the elegy serves as a deeply personal expression of his mourning for his young son, Benjamin, who died at the age of seven. Through this poem, Jonson not only conveys his profound sadness but also explores themes of love, loss, and the human condition.

Line-by-line analysis of 'On My First Son'

Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy!

Jonson opens with direct address to his son in the affectionate “Farewell”, creating a personal and emotional tone.
The metaphor “child of my right hand” shows the son’s importance, with “Benjamin” meaning “son of my right hand” in Hebrew (‘Ben’ means ‘son of’). The imagery of the right hand is Biblical, with God often referring to Jesus as seated ‘at the right hand of the Father’. The imagery is of a right-hand man, a much-relied-upon support, first in line.
The end-stop emphasises the finality of the farewell, with the exclamation mark showing emotion.

My sin was too much hope of thee, loved boy;

The image of “sin” conveys Jonson’s guilt due to what he now feels was excessive attachment to his son. The symbolism of “sin” continues the Biblical imagery established in line one.
Endearing phrases such as “loved boy” emphasise his deep affection.
The semi-colon at the end of the line creates a pause, allowing the word ‘boy’ to echo back to ‘joy’ on the line above, reinforcing the rhyming sound and the tone of regret.

Seven years thou wert lent to me, and I thee pay,

The metaphor “thou wert lent to me” suggests the son was a temporary gift from God.
The inverted syntax in “and I thee pay” creates a formal tone and emphasises the act of repayment to God, adding to the poem’s rhythmic quality.
In this line, the multiple uses of personal pronouns (“I” and “me”) brings home the heartfelt

Exacted by thy fate, on the just day.

The reference to “fate” as a force that “exacted” payment implies the unavoidable destiny of the son’s death. “Fate” and “just(ice)” are often alluded to in classical Greek and Roman theatre, poetry and mythology. Jonson draws on classical ideas, elevating his son to that of a mythological hero.
The end-stop after “day” adds a sense of certainty and finality and slows the pace, making it deeply emotive and sombre.

Oh, could I lose all father now! For why

The exclamation “Oh” conveys the speaker’s intense grief, which is emphasised by the exclamation mark later in the line.
The rhetorical question “For why” expresses Jonson’s searching struggle to find meaning in his loss.
Caesura in the exclamation creates a pause after “now” highlighting his emotional turmoil.

Will man lament the state he should envy –

The diction choice “lament” sums up the tone of the poem, as Jonson laments and mourns for his son.
The rhetorical question which began in the line above asks whether people should envy the dead, as they have escaped the hardships of the world. This question reflects Jonson’s search for meaning in the cruelty of the situation he is in.

To have so soon ’scaped world’s and flesh’s rage,

“World’s and flesh’s rage” uses both metaphor and personification to depict life as a source of suffering and pain, intensifying the image for the reader.
Enjambment, running this line into the next, and connecting the lines with the conjunction “And” on the next line links the ongoing nature of life’s struggles to the word “misery” leaving the reader in no doubt as to Jonson’s state of mind.

And, if no other misery, yet age?

The rhetorical question has run on for three lines but comes to an end here. It suggests that aging is itself a form of suffering that his son has avoided.
This line is interrupted by two commas, again slowing the pace and ensuring the elegy is slow and melancholy.
The end-stop at the line’s conclusion provides a pause for reflection and emphasises the finality of the son’s state.

Rest in soft peace, and, asked, say here doth lie

The gentle diction “Rest in soft peace” conveys a wish for eternal tranquillity, and is a deliberate change to the well-known ‘rest in peace’.
The caesura after “peace” creates a contemplative pause.

Ben Jonson his best piece of poetry:

The metaphor “his best piece of poetry” compares his son to his finest artistic work, highlighting Jonson’s pride and love for his son.
The syntax places “Ben Jonson” at the start of the line, emphasising the personal loss.

For whose sake, henceforth, all his vows be such

The choice of “vows” signifies a solemn promise, indicating the earnestness of Jonson’s promise in the following line: to never love anything else as much as he loved his son.
The enjambment carries the reader into the final line, emphasising continuity in his resolve.

As what he loves may never like too much.

The diminishing of “love” to “like” underscores Jonson’s resolution to avoid excessive love in future.
The end-stop concludes the poem with a definitive closure.

Analysis of form and structure

Verse structure

“On My First Son” by Ben Jonson is written as a single verse of twelve lines, written in the form of an epigram, a concise and expressive type of elegy.

Rhyme

The rhyme scheme is structured in rhymed couplets (AABBCCDDEEFF), where each pair of lines rhymes, adding a sense of closure and finality to each thought.

Rhyming couplets of iambic pentameter are called heroic couplets. Heroic couplets are the choice for poems which explore great events such as wars, battles, epic mythological adventures, etc. In this poem, Jonson’s choice of the heroic couplet elevates his son’s death to the realm of those great topics. This loss for Jonson is not a small one. Rather, his son’s death is worthy of the most elevated of forms. By choosing this form, Jonson elevates the elegy for his son to a level of significant commemoration, like that of a monumental tribute. The heroic couplet’s association with classical and timeless poetry underscores the lasting impact of his son’s memory and Jonson’s desire to immortalise him through poetry.

Rhythm

It is written in iambic pentameter, which means each line typically has ten syllables, with the rhythm pattern of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM).

This rhythmic pattern gives the poem a steady and sombre pace, reflective of the mournful tone Jonson adopts.

The combination of the steady iambic rhythm and the rhymed couplets creates a musical quality, which contrasts poignantly with the poem’s theme of loss and grief. This structured yet flowing form underscores the depth of Jonson’s sorrow and the contemplation of his son’s death, making the elegy powerful.

Themes in 'On My First Son'

Grief and loss

The poem is an elegy mourning the death of Jonson’s young son, who died of the plague in 1603. Jonson expresses his profound sorrow and grief at the loss of his child, capturing the heart-wrenching pain of a parent losing a beloved son.

Parental love

The relationship of parent and child is at the heart of this poem: Jonson’s deep love for his son is evident in every line. He refers to his son as his “right hand” and his “joy,” indicating the central place his son held in his life and affections.

Guilt and regret

Jonson feels guilt for having loved his son too much, which he refers to as his “sin.” This sense of regret permeates the poem, as he grapples with his feelings of attachment and loss. Perhaps he feels a ‘survivor’s guilt’ or perhaps he is strugglings to rationalise his loss by searching for a logical or tangible source of blame.

Acceptance of Fate

Jonson wrestles with the concept of fate and divine will, ultimately suggesting a resigned acceptance of his son’s death as part of a larger, inevitable plan. He views his son’s early death as an escape from the suffering of the world, allowing him some kind of hope in the midst of his loss.

Quiz

‘On My First Son’ by Ben Jonson

Test your knowledge of the poem 'On My First Son' by Ben Jonson

Comprehension Questions

How does Jonson describe his son in the opening line of the poem?
What does Jonson mean by “My sin was too much hope of thee, loved boy”?
Explain the significance of the phrase “Seven years thou wert lent to me.”
What metaphor does Jonson use to describe his son towards the end of the poem? Explain what he means by this.
How does Jonson feel towards fate in the poem?
Describe and explain the rhyme scheme and meter of “On My First Son.”
What are some of the key themes explored in the poem?
How does Jonson reconcile his grief towards the end of the poem?
How does the historical context of the bubonic plague influence the poem’s meaning?
Which poem from your anthology would you choose to compare and contrast with Jonson’s ‘On My First Son’? Create a mindmap or other form of notes to plan out your response to the two poems.

Other poems from the CCEA Relationships Anthology to pair with 'On My First Son'

'Remember' by Christina Rossetti

Both poems explore themes of loss and remembrance, but they approach these themes from different perspectives. Jonson’s poem is an elegy mourning the death of his young son, expressing deep grief and a sense of guilt for having loved him too much. In contrast, Rossetti’s “Remember” is a sonnet in which the speaker contemplates her own death and gently instructs her loved ones on how to remember her. The tone is more accepting and serene, with an emphasis on the importance of moving on if remembering becomes too painful. Rossetti’s poem is introspective, offering a more universal perspective on memory and the passage of time.

Clearances 7: In the Last Minutes by Seamus Heaney

Both poems deal with themes of loss and the intimate moments shared with loved ones before death. Jonson’s poem is an elegy mourning the death of his seven-year-old son, capturing his intense grief, regret, and the emotive metaphor of his son as his “best piece of poetry.” In contrast, Heaney’s poem is part of a sonnet sequence reflecting on the death of his mother. “Clearances 7” focuses on the quiet, tender moments shared with her during her final minutes, emphasising the intimacy and deep emotional bond between mother and son. Jonson’s work is characterised by its expression of raw grief and regret, whereas Heaney’s poem is marked by a serene tone, celebrating the cherished memories and connection he had with his mother.