The poem reimagines the old tale of two lost children who die in the woods, but it focuses on a robin that gently covers them with strawberry leaves, bringing them one by one. The speaker seems moved less by sorrow than by tender curiosity. She pictures the children lying very still, hearing the bees and even the ants, peeking through a gap in the leaves at the sky and bushes, watching for the robin to come back. The mood is hushed and dreamlike, almost lulling, as if death has simply made the children part of the woods. It doesn’t feel grim; instead, the small details—the holes in the leaves, the red and pink colors—make the scene feel intimate and strangely safe.
Babes in the Woods — Summary
The two little children that died long ago Away in the woods on the top of a hill-- And a good little robin that knew all about it Came with strawberry leaves in her bill,
To cover them up, and she kept very quiet And brought the leaves one at a time, I think. And some of the leaves would have little holes in them, And some would be red and pink.
And these little Babes-in-the-Woods that were dead Must have lain very still, and they heard all the talk That the bees would be saying to more little bees, And maybe they even could hear the ants walk.
And they could look out through a crack in the leaves And see little bushes and some of the sky. They could see robin coming with leaves in her mouth, And they watched for her when she went by.