Question

In "On My First Son" by Ben Jonson, the father narrator while grieving for his seven year old boy, notes that he is–in a way–being selfish since his child is now free from all the ills of this Earth can dish out and is instead safe in Heaven's care?

1) True
2) False

Answer 1

The statement about the father in Ben Jonson's "On My First Son" recognizing his selfishness in grieving for his child, who is now in heaven, is true. The father understands his son is free from the pains of mortal life.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Ben Jonson's poem "On My First Son," it is indeed true that the father narrator, while grieving for his seven-year-old boy, acknowledges that in some way he is being selfish.

He recognizes that his child is now free from the trials and tribulations of the earthly existence and is instead safe in Heaven.

The father's acknowledgment of his own selfishness in wishing to keep his son on Earth, where life is filled with potential suffering, reflects a complex understanding of love, loss, and mortality.