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only sometimes in the midst of my play
a tune seems to hover over my playthings,
the tune of some song that she used to
hum while rocking my cradle.
Lines 1-2: "I cannot remember my mother only sometimes in the midst of my play "
Important words
Meaning: The poet says he cannot recall his mother (she died when he was very small). But sometimes, while he is playing , she comes to his mind.
Line 3: "a tune seems to hover over my playthings ,"
Important words
Meaning: While he plays, a soft tune seems to float over his toys - like a memory gently coming back.
Lines 4-5: "the tune of some song that she used to hum while rocking my cradle ."
Important words
Meaning: That tune is the song his mother used to hum softly while gently rocking his cradle when he was a baby.
"I cannot remember my mother only sometimes in the midst of my play"
(The poet cannot recall his mother, but she comes to mind while he is playing.)
"a tune seems to hover over my playthings,"
(A soft tune seems to float over his toys, like a gentle memory.)
"the tune of some song that she used to hum while rocking my cradle."
(It is the song his mother hummed while rocking his cradle when he was a baby.)
Overall meaning: The poet has no clear memory of his mother, yet while playing he feels a tune floating over his toys. It is the lullaby she once hummed to him. So her memory comes back to him through sound (a tune) , softly and lovingly.
