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There were four contrasts throughout the poem: "Joy" with Benoni (son of my suffering), "lament" and "envie", "lent" with "pay" and "sinne" with "hope". The meaning of "son of my right hand" is saying that his son was the strength and support of the father. But, the poet refers to the story of Benoni, son of my suffering, that his son's death was very harsh on the father.
"lament" and "envie", the poet convey a message to the reader, why "lament" for a person that is going to a better world. We should "envie" the person instead of lamenting, but there are still many people cried. Because saying things is easy, but taking actions is much harder and requires a lot of guts to accept it. Maybe some people think they can do it, but they had not experienced the pain of losing a son.
"lent" and "pay", the narrator is saying that whenever God lend something, there must be a "just day". But, the poet refers that God had lend him a wonderful son, but when the "just day" had come, he paid even more: inspiration and some inspiration had died with his son.
"sinne" and "hope", the narrator is saying that the fathers "sinne" was putting too much "hope" on the son. The poet wants to convey that the higher hopes you rely on a person, the greater pain will feel when he died, and all the precious memories had all become sorrow.
The poem is written in iambic pentameter throughout the poem. But, the first three words in line three breaks the pattern. "Seven yeeres thou" do not follow the pattern, emphasize the fact that his son did not died as a baby nor as an old man, but at an early age. .
The use of polysemy, differences the narrator from the poet. There a meaning behind the text. In line one "child of my right hand and joy" is referring to the name, Benjamin which means "son of my right hand". It also alludes to Genesis, the story of Benoni, which mean son of my suffering. Jonson is pointing out that HIS Benjamin had been a source of joy.
