To My Small Hearth His Fire Came

To My Small Hearth His Fire Came - meaning Summary

Sudden, Enduring Illumination

The speaker describes a sudden arrival of warmth and light at her modest hearth that transforms her whole house. The imagery shifts from a domestic flame to a cosmic sunrise and then to a sustained, decay-defying noon. The poem presents an intense, almost spiritual moment of illumination or emotional awakening that feels permanent rather than seasonal or transient, suggesting a radical change in perception or inner life brought by one guest or force.