When Others Soundly Slept

By Night When Others Soundly Slept

1

By night when others soundly slept

And hath at once both ease and Rest,

My waking eyes were open kept

And so to lie I found it best.

2

I sought him whom my Soul did Love,

With tears I sought him earnestly.

He bow’d his ear down from Above.

In vain I did not seek or cry.

3

My hungry Soul he fill’d with Good;

He in his Bottle put my tears,

My smarting wounds washt in his blood,

And banisht thence my Doubts and fears.

4

What to my Saviour shall I give

Who freely hath done this for me?

I’ll serve him here whilst I shall live

And Loue him to Eternity.

By Night When Others Soundly Slept is a poem by Anne Bradstreet. The poem describes Anne's relationship with God. It takes place late one night when others were sleeping. Anne can not sleep and begins to pray. She cries to God about her doubts and worries and tells that God hears her and takes her tears, fears, and doubts away. Replacing them with good and filling her soul. She then contemplates what she can give to God in return, and resolves to serve him in this life and "loue him to eternity." (Loue is an obsolete way of writing love.) I think this is a beautiful description of the peace and comfort God can give us.