SOURCE: Daly, Peter M. “Southwell's ‘Burning Babe’ and the Emblematic Practice.” Wascana Review 3, no. 2 (1968): 29-44.

In the following essay, Daly maintains that the imagery of “The Burning Babe” is best understood in light of the emblematic tradition, familiar to seventeenth-century readers.

I

As I in hoarie Winters night stood shivering in the snowe, Surpris'd I was with sodaine heate, which made my hart to glowe; And lifting up a fearefull eye, to view what fire was neere, A prettie Babe all burning bright did in the ayre appeare; Who, scorched with excessive heate, such floods of teares did shed, (5) As though his floods should quench his flames, which with his teares were (fedd): Alas, (quoth he) but newly borne, in fierie heates I frie, Yet none approach to warme their harts, or feele my fire but I; My faultlesse breast the furnace is, the fuell wounding thornes: Love...