Come Sleep! Oh Sleep Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. Is this a romantic poem? Or is it pretty much just whining and begging? What parts of the poem support your answer?
  2. What do you make of all the different ways the speaker describes Sleep? Does this mean Sleep is really hard to describe, or that Sleep is so awesome at so many things? Could it be both?
  3. What is lost by reading this poem out of context (i.e., without reading the poems in the sequence that precede and follow it)? What might be gained by doing so?
  4. Is the speaker really upset about his sleeplessness, or is this just a cover for his girl problems? What parts of the poem give you your ideas?