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Analysis Of On My First Son

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A title is the first thing a reader notices about a poem. It sets out the expectations of the reader. The author utilizes the title to give the reader the initial impression they want interpreted. This title can explain exactly what the poem is about, not relate to the poem in a direct way, or be ambiguous in its meaning. The title is one of the most important elements of a poem; it is the poems introduction to the world. With this introduction having been made, the reader examines the poem with the expectation of relating it directly to the title. Ben Jonson utilizes the title aspect of his poem “On My First Son” to layout precisely what the poem is to be written about, his son. The author of this poem addresses his feeling following the loss of his son and his newfound loss of fatherhood. Given the title, the reader promptly looks for the connection between the author and the subject of this poem, presumably his son. Immediately, the reader is able to see that the author is saying goodbye to his child. Therefore, the immediate interpretation suggests that the title “On My First Son” could more exactly be “On My First Son’s Death”. After even further reading, it is interpreted that the father has not only lost his first son, but rather his only son. The author proclaims “Oh, could I lose all fatherº now” with the sub-note that by father, the author means fatherhood (line 5). The reader is now able to, after only five lines, understand that the deeper meaning of the

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