# The Dying Mother explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper.

## What happens

A dying mother, surrounded by her family, speaks her final words to her husband, asking him to hold her close and to deliver her blessings and spiritual guidance to her children. She entrusts her baby to God's care and urges her other children to seek divine love and protection, before peacefully passing away.

## Themes in this chapter

### Motherhood and Family

The chapter centers on a mother's final act of love and guidance for her children, highlighting the deep familial bonds and maternal sacrifice.

### Faith and Divine Justice

The dying mother's words emphasize faith in God, a heavenly afterlife, and divine protection, reflecting a belief in spiritual justice and redemption.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown Narrator

The narrator presents the dying mother's final words and scene.

### Father

The husband of the dying mother, who is asked to hold her and to convey her blessings to their children.

## Key lines

> Come nearer to me, husband, Now the aching leaves my breast, But my eyes are dim and weary, And to-night I fain would rest.

Come close to me, my husband; the pain is fading, but I am growing weak and tired, and tonight I wish to rest.

_The mother asks her husband to draw near as she feels her strength leaving her._

> Tell her she must meet her mother In the brighter world above.

Tell her that she will see her mother again in a better world after death.

_The mother expresses hope for a reunion with her baby in heaven._

> Tell them that their dying mother Bless’d them with her latest breath.

Tell them that their mother, as she dies, gives them her final blessing.

_The mother's last act is to bless her children before she passes away._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_7_se/chapters/the-dying-mother
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_7_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_7_se/chapters