A child sits with a cup of sassafras tea, noticing how the red, clear liquid looks against a white china cup. They keep peeking into it before drinking, the way someone might admire a small treasure. Stirring with a silver spoon adds another small pleasure: they lift a little tea and hold it there, thinking it looks as if the spoon is lined with gold. Even the smell makes them hungry, and they enjoy the idea that something they like is also supposed to be good for them. The whole poem creates a warm, cozy mood. It turns an ordinary cup of tea into a quiet moment of wonder and satisfaction. The speaker feels safe, curious, and delighted by simple things—color, shine, warmth, and taste—without any rush to finish.
Sassafras Tea — Summary
The sass’fras tea is red and clear In my white china cup, So pretty I keep peeping in Before I drink it up.
I stir it with a silver spoon, And sometimes I just hold A little tea inside the spoon, Like it was lined with gold.
It makes me hungry just to smell The nice hot sass’fras tea, And that’s one thing I really like That they say’s good for me.