Pre 1914 literature poems for on my first sonne

the dad is getting over the loss of his perhaps only son, which had the name Ben Johnson, the same as his. ben johnson means right hand (this is the good hand), so when he says "my rihgt hand and joy" it shows this in detail and how he thought of his son as a joy

he does feel sad about the death but beleves he should be happy as his son is now in a much better place and his son has now missed the misseries of ageing 

He beleives that his son was the best thing he ever created - but his mother is not mentioned

THE POEM IS AN ELEGY- mournful poem or song, a lament for the dead

LAMENT - it expresses sorrow, remorse or regret. A poem / song where deathn is lamented

he writes to his son as if he could hear him

he uses a paradox "will man lament the state he should envy". He is sad but shouldnt because in better place, it is a question, seems like asking himself

the poem is 12 lines long and written in Iambic pentameter

Iambic pentameter consists of one short syllable followed by one long sylable

it therefore shound like a natural beat, it was m,ost popular at that time he wrote it

rhyming couplets show the togetherness, half rhyme gives us clues that th writer is not comfortable about writing this topic