On my First Daughter Essay Questions

Describe the major conflict in “On My First Daughter.” Does it feel resolved to you? Why or why not?

The major conflict in “On My First Daughter” is between Jonson’s feelings of grief and his desire for comfort. Although Jonson uses several convincing arguments to persuade himself not to mourn his daughter’s death, the conflict does not feel completely resolved. The first four lines are somewhat ironic, as Jonson’s version of being a good father involves feeling less for his own child. The rest of the poem describes a feminine world of shared comfort from which Jonson is excluded, followed by a stark image of Mary’s body in the ground, which Jonson feels much closer to. He still wants to negate his own grief, but is unable to do so, leaving the conflict unresolved.

Identify one literary element Jonson uses to enhance the themes of “On My First Daughter.” How does it work, and what is its broader significance?

“On My First Daughter” is written as a series of rhyming couplets. The simple form brings out key relationships within the poem. For example, in the second couplet, Jonson rhymes “heaven’s due” with “less to rue.” The rhyme places the two phrases in parallel, emphasizing that Jonson’s grief is incompatible with his religious obligation to willingly return to God that which belongs to God.