Thomas Warton's Poem, To Sleep

From the 16th to the 19th century, many poets were born, lived out their lives, and made poetry come alive.. Each famous poet, that we still learn today, stands out with their own style of writing. Thomas Warton, however, wrote pieces using various subjects leaving him a minor poet. Born in the year of 1728 at Basingstoke, in Hampshire, Thomas Warton descended from an ancient family, whose residence was at Beverly, in Yorkshire. He had an ancestor who was knighted in the civil wars for his adherence to Charles I, but by failure of loyalty, the estate of the family was confiscated, and they were unable to maintain the rank of gentry, or nobility. This act was considered “toryism,” a support of the opposite forces. For example, an …show more content…
This poem is one of his pieces of his own emotions toward wanting a peaceful sleep. Warton begins his poem with, “on this my pensive pillow, gentle sleep,” describing his pillow as where his mind full of thoughts lays to rest. With those thoughts, then comes calm sleep, which leads into dreams. In line 5, he writes, “ O steep my senses in oblivion 's balm,” to show sensory detail of the fragrant, that can sooth all human senses in an abyss, he wishes to smell. By using the word “steep”, Thomas Warton is describing the lowering of his senses to nothing, in asense of death. With the third stanza of his poem, he puts his feelings of depression inbetween the lines by writing, “and sadly toiling through the tedious night, I seek sweet slumber.” Warton is battling through the night with the saddened thoughts that race through his conscious. He then goes on searching for the bliss of sleep, where he does not have to think, but only dream. Ending his poem with, “Death stands prepar’d, but still delays, to strike,” he awaits death to conquer him during the night, but still wakes up the next day. Waking up with many sorrows, and not wanting to feel the senses of his sadness, Thomas Warton waits for a calming sleep, known as