"On My First son" by Ben Jonson

In the poem "On my first son" Ben Jonson uses powerful diction and language to convey his emotions of anger and despair. These emotions which he feels as a Father over the loss of his son makes him question his faith in his maker. In the first stanza Jonson conveys his sense of loss by using its diction and language. The words "farewell" of his "joy" in the first sentence show us the deep emotional …

…second stanza causes an abrupt change in thinking. The contrast in atmosphere also could be related to the author own life, the death of his son destroys his peace and he comes to comprehend the death. The stanza ends with Jonson loathing his own emotions, he plans to never love and like again. These final words also carry an undertone of anger towards his maker, an anger which if fuelled by the pain of life.