The Right Hand

The "right hand" symbolizes luck and favor. The speaker refers to his son as "thou child of my right hand," denoting that he was special and well-loved (1). The right hand also carries biblical significance, as the New Testament frequently describes Jesus as sitting at the right hand of the Father—meaning that Jesus shares equal status with God. By using this phrase, Jonson suggests that his son, despite his youth, shared equal status with his own father.

Payment

The payment that the speaker must make symbolizes his loss. Jonson imagines that his son was simply loaned to him for seven years by God, and that now he must pay back that loan. By comparing the death of his son to a payment returned, Jonson comforts himself with the knowledge that his son has been brought back to his creator.

Best Piece of Poetry

The...