Keep me from going to sleep too soon
Or if I go to sleep too soon
Come wake me up. Come any hour
Of night. Come whistling up the road.
Stomp on the porch. Bang on the door.
Make me get out of bed and come
And let you in and light a light.
Tell me the northern lights are on
And make me look. Or tell me clouds
Are doing something to the moon
They never did before, and show me.
See that I see. Talk to me till
I’m half as wide awake as you
And start to dress wondering why
I ever went to bed at all.
Tell me the walking is superb.
Not only tell me but persuade me.
You know I’m not too hard persuaded.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Robert Francis's poem Summons

2 Comments

  1. Ruth Snashall says:

    I love this poem. I think it is saying that if you know something that is going on that I am not aware of then wake me up to it, wake us all up to what is going on behind our backs.

  2. Diane Richardson says:

    This has been a favorite of mine for years. This is the way I want to live my life. I love “sounds” in lines 4 and 5. I lost this poem and just recently found it through many searches. I can see similarities with Robert Frost.

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