The speaker watches someone whose eyes are heavy with sleep and finds them deeply beautiful. Those “sleep-ravished eyes” hold a paradise, something intimate that lies close to the heart. The repeated phrase sounds like a sigh or a soft refrain, almost like a lullaby. The mood is quiet, tender, and full of affection. Peace and pleasure, music and love all seem to gather in this one drowsy moment. The final lines dwell on the eyes themselves—dark, deep, and full of dreams hidden in the “labyrinths of sleep.” Rather than making a logical argument, the poem creates a dreamy, loving atmosphere. It captures that private feeling of looking at a beloved face at rest, when the world goes still and even sleep looks like a kind of treasure.
Ah, Sleep-Ravished Eyes — Summary
Ah, sleep-ravished eyes Dream of a paradise, That close to our heart lies, Sleep-ravished eyes.
Peace and pleasure, Their music and measure; Love and love's treasure, Oh, peace in pleasure!
Eyes dark and deep; All dreams they keep In their labyrinths of sleep; Oh, eyes dark, deep!