The poem, “Swinging” by Jean Ingelow, is about accepting life’s joys and sorrows with a sense of tranquility and peace. The poem starts by describing the peaceful atmosphere of a calm evening, with “the nightingale had ceased his song/And dew was dropping all day long” and that “no leaf did stir, no breath did come.” These lines paint a picture of a peaceful stillness.
The poem then goes on to discuss the narrator’s emotional state, saying “Oh never had heart of mortal frame/Such a deep serenity.” This describes an inner calmness, a sense of emotional stability. This peace is then contrasted against the expectation that life will be a cycle of joy and sorrow: “Oh! woe and bliss, and woe again,/Still like a lifting sea.” This accepts the inevitability that life will have both highs and lows, and the narrator can accept this without breaking down.
The poem ends with the narrator’s acceptance of life, affirming that “high o’er the weeping world I go/Swinging the burden of my woe.” Here, the narrator chooses to accept life’s joys and sorrows with a sense of contentment, never letting himself get too low and continuing on through life’s ups and downs. Ultimately, the poem is a message of peaceful acceptance that life will always have different highs and lows and focusing on the positive.
