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To Sleep

Author: John Keats

This Page Includes: Full Verses of the Poem in Text. A Recording of the Poem (Audio). A Free PDF Download for reading purposes. Free Editable Google Doc Download if you wish to make changes or to personalise the poem. The page also includes what the poem is about, structure of poem and explaining the best parts.

To Sleep Poem Verses

O soft embalmer of the still midnight,
Shutting, with careful
Fingers and benign,
Our gloom-pleas‘d eyes,
Embower‘d from the light,
Enshaded in forgetfulness divine:
O soothest Sleep! if so it please thee, close
In midst of this thine hymn my willing eyes,
Or wait the ―Amen,‖ ere thy poppy throws
Around my bed its lulling charities.
Then save me, or the passed day will shine
Upon my pillow, breeding many woes,–
Save me from curious Conscience,
That still lords
Its strength for darkness,
Burrowing like a mole;
Turn the key deftly
In the oiled wards,
And seal the hushed
Casket of my Soul.

Audio Recording

Please note the audio recording may not exactly match the text version as 'To Sleep' can be tailored/personalised

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Please note the audio recording may not exactly match the text version as 'To Sleep' can be tailored/personalised

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Personalised Poem

Would you like to customise this poem? You have the option to personalise it by accessing the provided link, which will direct you to Google Docs. From there, you can download the poem ‘Memories’ to your personal Google Docs account or Microsoft Word where you will be able to edit the poem however you want.

Personalised Poem

About the poem

This poem is called "To Sleep" by John Keats. The speaker is addressing Sleep as a personification and asking for its soothing powers to help him forget his troubles and ease him into peaceful rest. The speaker asks Sleep to be gentle and careful in closing his eyes and lulling him to sleep. He also asks Sleep to protect him from his own thoughts and conscience that may cause him anxiety and trouble. The poem expresses a desire for rest and escape from the worries of the day.

The Structure of Poem

The poem is structured in a single stanza of fourteen lines, which is a typical form of a sonnet. The poem employs iambic pentameter, a metrical scheme of five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables, which adds musicality to the verse. The poem addresses Sleep as an embalmer and a soothing force, which can ease the speaker's conscience and provide relief from daily troubles. The poem also invokes the image of a casket, symbolizing the speaker's desire to bury his or her soul and escape the constant introspection.

Best Quote from To Sleep Poem

This is a quote from the poem To Sleep by John Keats

"O soft embalmer of the still midnight, Shutting, with careful Fingers and benign, Our gloom-pleas‘d eyes, Embower‘d from the light, Enshaded in forgetfulness divine: O soothest Sleep!"

This quote beautifully captures the peaceful and calming nature of sleep, and the speaker's desire for it to bring him relief and forgetfulness. The imagery used, such as "embalmer" and "enshaded in forgetfulness divine," adds depth and richness to the description.