The poem explores the relationship between a young man named Felix Randal and the speaker, who is a priest. The priest reflects on the life, the illness, and the death of this congregant, who at first was embittered by the illness that took from him his liveliness but eventually accepted his death with grace, thanks to the speaker's help. The speaker is clearly attached to the boy, as he “Tendered to him” during his sickness and offered “sweet reprieve and ransom” during times of difficulty.
The speaker describes how, at first, Felix was distraught about the prospect of his death; as the speaker puts it, “Sickness broke him.” The normal experiences of being angry at the injustice of death—“he cursed at first”—are soon replaced by the “comfort” and care offered by the speaker during his last days.
The speaker reflects also on how illness brings the ill and their caretakers closer together. The poem ends with a remembrance of Felix Randal in the past, when he was healthy and "powerful amidst peers" and did his job well.
