Children

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Note : see the introduction of the poet in the poem “Rain in Summer.”

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Synopsis:

The poem Children has nine stanzas and each describes what the children are to the world and for the poet as well. It commences with a very strong voice of the poet, “Come to me, O ye children! ” He calls the children because he wants to be the part of their world, their brighter world where there is sunshine of their innocence and joy . The poet himself is a pessimist,tired, worried old man whose mind is highly troubled but to get escape from his life, he takes refuge in the world of the children.

The poet uses symbols to describe the love, beauty, innocence and purity of the children. He says they are the one who open the eastern windows from where the sun rises, where there are singing swallows and the brooks , where there is purity of the thoughts and is clarity. He says that children ‘s thoughts are pure, transparent and free .

The poet fears what would happen if there were no children, he finds there would be a complete disaster, darkness and desert with no hope and life . He emphasizes that no matter what inventions, amenities and luxuries humans have are nothing in front of the children’s caresses and gladness of their looks. Children are like the ballads and the poems that were ever said or sung as the poet says:

For ye are living poems

And all the rest are dead

theme:

Children are the source of our happiness and a reason to live – without them all is barren, empty and useless no matter what inventions, amenities or luxuries we have. They are a precious gift and a blessing from Almighty.

Stanza 1

1.Children are playing and having fun in their sunny atmosphere in their own way.

2. No particular reason has been defined in the poem that what disturbs him except that he is afraid of his old age and the problems which are related to this age so trying to get rid of that he takes refuge in the innocent world of the children and admires their carefree life.

3.The question of the problem of the poet’s coming of the old age goes far far away when he hears the children giggling, laughing and having fun in their lovely positive atmosphere without any worries and he fully admires them.

Stanza 2

1. Children are the one who open the eastern windows from where the sun rises, brightens the whole atmosphere and removes the gloom. Children like the sun bring light in our world and light it with their glow.

2. The poet compares the thoughts of the children with the singing swallows and the morning brooks. He uses them in a symbolic way as singing swallows represent freedom, music, innocence and beauty similarly, the brooks show purity and clarity – both are the objects of nature and nature is original so children are true, pure and lovable.

3. He compares the thoughts of the children with the singing swallows and the morning brooks because singing swallows and the morning brooks are natural objects and nature is real so are the children and their thoughts that have the characteristics of beauty, innocence, purity and freedom .

Stanza 3

1.The birds and the sunshine can be in the hearts of the children in this way that children are innocent, young and optimistic; they have nothing negative in them so the poet shows their innocence through birds and the sunshine means brightness that they have on account of their positivity and clear thoughts.

2.The poet says the children are thinking of the books while he is of Autumn. It is symbolic because brooks represents clarity, positivity and vitality while Autumn is the season of leafless trees means depriving, despair and downfall so children are looking forward to new horizons and the poet is starting his journey towards the end.

3. Not purely for the old age but yes, he knows well that his journey toward the end has stated as the couplet says ” But in my mind is the wind of Autumn/And the first fall of the snow”. The first line depicts his state of mind quite well means pessimism and the other gives the idea of his old age.

4.The other words that he uses to show the coming of old age upon him are:

But in my mind is the wind of Autumn

And the first fall of the snow

5.The children are different from the poet in many ways, the poet is pessimistic, worried and tired while the children are young, vibrant, positive and optimistic.

Stanza 4

1. The poet asks the question: Ah! What would the world be to us / If the children were no more?”

2. The desert and dark both are synonymous to nothingness and fear but comparing both desert is worse than the dark because desert is an absolute state of emptiness, on the contrary darkness brings light and hope so darkness is better than desert so without children we have a desert behind us means nothing at all, no hope and deprivation.

Stanza 5 & 6

1. According to Science, trees get food from their leaves through air and sunlight that is called ” Photosynthesis” so if there were no leaves, would be no life and the trees would dry and die so would happen to humans – no children mean no life and end of human beings.

2. We would have the fear of the end of life if there were no children.

Stanza 7

1.The poet asks the children to come to him because he wants to hear mirthful songs of the birds and winds which are being sung in their sunny atmosphere and children, he believes, can listen and understand them on account of their simplicity, innocence and purity of the thoughts.

2. The poet wishes to be whispered the songs of love, beauty, innocence, joy and mirthfulness.

Stanza 8

1.The poet says that the grown ups have inventions and the wisdom of the books while the children have caresses and the gladness of their looks.

Stanza 9

1.The poet compares the children with the ballads that are the folk songs with stories and the poems that entertain.

2. The children can be like the ballads and the poems in this way that like the ballads, they bring music, rhythm and harmony and give us a new joy and happiness and like the poems they keep us lively bringing new stories every other day.

3. The poet says that the children are living and the rest all dead because life is with humans, no new birth means utter barrenness and emptiness so no matter what inventions, amenities or luxurious are in the world are useless without children- they are life, are living poems, bring everyday new stories to amuse us and without them, ” all is dead “.

End of the poem