This poem was first printed in The Gem, 1829. The Gem was then edited by Thomas Hood, whose child—his firstborn—it was thatinspired the poem. Lamb sent the verses to Hood in May, 1827.
This is, I think, in many ways Lamb's most remarkable poem.
Hood's own poem on the same event, printed in Memorials of Thomas Hood, by his daughter, 1860, has some of the grace and tenderness of the Greek Anthology:—
Little eyes that scarce did see,
Little lips that never smiled;
Alas! my little dear dead child,
Death is thy father, and not me,
I but embraced thee, soon as he!
* * * * *
Page 55. To Bernard Barton.
These lines were sent to Barton in 1827, together with the picture. On
June 11, Lamb wrote again:—
"DEAR B.B.,
"One word more of the picture verses, and that for good and all; pray, with a neat pen alter one line—
"His learning seems to lay small stress on—