# Lullaby explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Langston Hughes.

## What happens

A tender lullaby sung to a dark-skinned baby, weaving celestial imagery of stars and moon into a soothing sleep-song that celebrates the child's beauty and connection to the night.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Loss

The lullaby expresses deep maternal or protective love, with an undercurrent of loss implied by the need to soothe and protect the child.

### Racial Identity and Oppression

The repeated emphasis on the baby's 'dark' and 'black' skin affirms racial identity and beauty in a world that often devalues it.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The speaker, a caregiver singing a lullaby to a dark baby.

## Key lines

> My little dark baby, My little earth-thing, My little love-one, What shall I sing For your lullaby?

My precious dark-skinned child, so connected to the earth, my beloved—what song should I sing to help you sleep?

_The speaker tenderly addresses the baby, emphasizing their dark skin and earthly nature, and wonders what lullaby to offer._

> Stars, Stars, A necklace of stars Winding the night.

The stars are like a necklace wrapped around the night sky.

_The speaker imagines the stars as a decorative necklace adorning the night, a soothing image for the child._

> Moon, Moon, Great diamond moon, Kissing the night.

The moon, like a huge diamond, gently touches the night sky.

_The moon is personified as a precious gem that kisses the night, adding to the lullaby's peaceful imagery._

> Oh, little dark baby, Night black baby, Stars, stars, Moon, Night stars, Moon, For your sleep-song lullaby.

Oh, my little dark-skinned baby, as black as the night, the stars and moon are all part of your bedtime song.

_The speaker concludes by directly associating the baby's darkness with the beauty of the night sky, making the celestial elements part of the lullaby._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se/chapters/lullaby
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se/chapters