The Cry of The Children
By Elizabeth Barrett Browning
“Pheu pheu, ti prosderkesthe m ommasin, tekna;” [Alas, alas, why do you gaze at me with your eyes, my children.] —Medea.
Do you hear the children weeping, O my brothers,
Before sorrow comes with years?
They lean their young heads against their mothers,
And that cannot stop their tears.
Young lambs bleat in the meadows;
Young birds chirp in the nest;
Young fawns play with the shadows;
Young flowers blow toward the west—
But the young children, O my brothers,
They weep bitterly!
They weep in the playtime of others,
In the country of the free.Do you question the young children in sorrow,
Why their tears fall so?
The old man may weep for his tomorrow,
Which is lost in long ago.
The old tree is leafless in the forest.
The old year ends in frost.
The old wound, if struck, is the most sore.
The old hope is hardest to lose:
But the young children, O my brothers,
Do you ask them why they stand,
Weeping sore before the bosoms of their mothers,
In our happy fatherland?They look up with pale, sunken faces,
And their looks are sad to see.
For the man’s grief is abhorrent, it draws and presses
Down the cheeks of infancy.
“Your old earth,” they say, “is very dreary.”
“Our young feet,” they say, “are very weak.”
Few steps have we taken, yet we are weary.
Our graves are very far to seek!
Ask the old why they weep, and not the children,
For the outside earth is cold.
And we young ones stand bewildered,
And the graves belong to the old.“True,” say the children, “it may happen that we die before our time.
Little Alice died last year; her grave is shaped like a snowball in the rime.
We looked into the pit prepared to take her.
There was no room for any work in the close clay.
From the sleep in which she lies, none will wake her, crying, “Get up, little Alice! It is day.”
If you listen at that grave, in sun and shower, with your ear close, little Alice never cries.
Could we see her face? We would not know her, for the smile grows in her eyes—
And merry go her moments, lulled and still in the shroud, by the kirk-chime!
It is good when it happens,” say the children, “that we die before our time!”Alas, the wretched children! They are seeking death in life, as best to have.
They bind their hearts away from breaking, with a shroud from the grave.
Go out, children, from the mine and from the city— sing out, children, as the little thrushes do—pluck handfuls of meadow-cowslips, pretty, laugh aloud, to feel your fingers let them through!
But they answer, “Are your cowslips of the meadow like our weeds near the mine? Leave us quiet in the dark of the coal shadows, from your pleasures fair and fine.”“For oh,” say the children, “we are weary, and we cannot run or leap.
If we cared for any meadow, it would be merely to drop down in it and sleep.
Our knees tremble sorely in stooping— we fall upon our faces, trying to go; and, underneath our heavy drooping eyelids, the reddest flower would look as pale as snow.
For all day, we drag our burden, tiring, through the coal-dark underground— or all day, we drive the wheels of iron in the factories, round and round.”For all day, the wheels drone and turn— their wind comes into our faces— until our hearts turn, our heads with pulses burning, and the walls turn in their places. They turn the sky in the high window, blank and reeling—turn the long light that drops down the wall—turn the black flies that crawl along the ceiling. All are turning all day, and we with all— and all day, the iron wheels drone; sometimes we could pray, “O ye wheels,” breaking out in a mad moaning, “Stop! Be silent for today!”
Ay! Be silent! Let them hear each other breathing for a moment, mouth to mouth.
Let them touch each other’s hands in a fresh wreathing of their tender human youth.
Let them feel that this cold metallic motion is not all the life God fashions or reveals.
Let them prove their inward souls against the notion that they live in you, or under you, O wheels.
Still, all day, the iron wheels go onward, as if Fate were stark. And the children’s souls, which God is calling sunward, spin blindly in the dark.Now tell the poor young children, O my brothers, to look up to Him and pray—so the blessed One, who blesses all the others, will bless them another day. They answer, “Who is God that He should hear us, while the rushing of the iron wheels is stirred? When we sob aloud, the human creatures near us pass by, hearing nothing, or answering not a word.
Is it likely that God, with angels singing round Him, hears our weeping any more?”Two words of prayer we remember: “Our Father,” at midnight’s hour of harm—looking upward in the chamber, we say softly for a charm.
We know no other words, except “Our Father,” and we think that, in some pause of angels’ song, God may pluck them with the silence sweet to gather, and hold both within His right hand, which is strong.
“If He heard us,” he would surely answer, smiling down the steep world purely, “Come and rest with me, my child.”But no! say the children, weeping faster, “He is speechless as a stone.”
They tell us that His image is the master who commands us to work.
Go to—say the children—up in Heaven—dark, wheel-like, turning clouds are all we find!
Do not mock us; grief has made us unbelieving. We look up for God, but tears have made us blind.Do you hear the children weeping and disproving, O my brothers, what you preach? For God’s possibility is taught by His world’s love, and the children doubt each.
And well may the children weep before you; they are weary ere they run.
They have never seen the sunshine, nor the glory that is brighter than the sun.
They know the grief of man without wisdom; they sink in despair without calm.
They are slaves without liberty, martyrs without palm, worn as if with age, yet no remembrance keeps.
Orphans of earthly love and heavenly—let them weep, let them weep.
What the Poem Is About
The poem portrays the suffering of children in a society that has failed them. It examines the emotional pain of childhood, the lack of opportunities for future growth, and the hardships children endure in a harsh, oppressive environment. The poem is not merely a description of their situation; it is a direct challenge that encourages change.
How Each Part Builds the Message
Each section of the poem illustrates a distinct theme or idea. The first part shows the children’s pain and how they try to cope with their suffering. The second part shows how the child’s lives are trapped. The third part explores the children’s feelings. The fourth part focuses on the children’s hopes and desires, and the fifth part illustrates the children’s resilience and courage.
The structure of the poem is carefully organized. It uses a strong sense of rhythm and flow, and it emphasizes the emotional aspects of the children’s experience. It also highlights the importance of hope, love, and care, while encouraging a sense of responsibility and action.
Each section helps to support the message of the poem. The poem illustrates how the children’s emotional state and experiences can be changed, how children can be supported, and how the world can be improved for future generations.
The structure of the poem allows us to see how each part works together to create a powerful message about the pain, hopes, and resilience of the children in a harsh environment. The poem emphasizes the importance of hope, love, and care, while encouraging a sense of responsibility and action.
How Each Part Builds the Message
The poem uses several parts to illustrate the children’s pain. Each part of the poem emphasizes the children’s emotional state. It highlights the importance of hope, love, and care, while encouraging a sense of responsibility and action.
Structure
• The poem contains five main parts.
• The first part is a description of the children’s pain.
• The second part is a short summary of the poem’s main theme.
• The third part illustrates the children’s emotional state.
• The fourth part is a story about the children’s future and what they want to achieve.
• The fifth part is an inspiring call to action for the children’s support.
Each part of the poem uses a different style to create a sense of clarity and emotional tone. The poem emphasizes that the children’s emotional state is influenced by the environment and how it can shape their future. It also encourages the reader to reflect on the children’s pain and encourage them to be part of the solution.
Why This Poem Is Powerful
The poem contains powerful imagery that can touch the reader’s heart. The poem illustrates the children’s struggle, and the reader can connect to it and become aware of the children’s struggles. The poem encourages the reader to consider what kind of impact the environment can have on a child’s life. It also encourages the reader to become an advocate for the children’s rights and well‑being. By showing the children’s emotional state, the poem creates a sense of compassion for the children and encourages them to stand up for the children and make a difference in the world.
The Poem’s Themes
- The child’s emotional state and how it is influenced by the environment.
- The child’s feelings.
- The child’s struggles.
- The child’s hopes.
- The child’s future.
The Poem’s Structure
The poem is organized around the child’s experience, which allows us to understand how the child’s emotional state and experience can change. Each part of the poem helps us to see how the child’s experience is influenced by the environment. It helps the child’s emotional state to create a sense of hope, love, and care, and encourages the child to be aware of his/her own emotional state.
The Poem’s Language
The poem is written in a poetic style, which uses strong imagery to evoke the child’s experience. The poem is full of vivid metaphors and symbolism to create a sense of a strong emotional experience. The poem also highlights the child’s emotional state and the challenges the child faces. The poem encourages the reader to reflect on the child’s emotional state and how the child can change the environment to create a better future.
The Poem’s Impact
Through its vivid imagery and symbolism, the poem encourages us to consider how the child’s emotional state and experience may be shaped by the environment, and how the child’s experience can change over time. The poem also creates an emotional atmosphere that encourages empathy for the child. This emotional experience encourages the reader to become a champion for children and to work toward a future where children can live with hope, love, and peace.
Structure
• The poem contains five main parts:
• The first part is a description of the child’s emotional state.
• The second part is a summary of the poem’s main theme.
• The third part illustrates the child’s emotional state.
• The fourth part is a story about the child’s future and what he or she wants to achieve.
• The fifth part is a poetic message that encourages the reader to stand up for children’s well‑being.
Key Takeaways
- The poem uses strong language and imagery to emphasize the child’s emotional state.
- The poem uses vivid imagery and symbolism to highlight the child’s emotional state.
- The poem highlights the child’s future and encourages the reader to reflect on the child’s emotional state.
- The poem creates a sense of hope, love, and care, while encouraging the child to become an advocate for his own well‑being.
- The poem can help the child to reflect on the environment and become aware of his/her emotional state.
- The poem encourages the reader to become a champion for children and to work toward a future where children can live with hope, love, and peace.
Key Messages
- The child’s emotional state and how it is influenced by the environment.
- The child’s feelings.
- The child’s struggles.
- The child’s future.
- By using a strong narrative voice, the poem creates an emotional atmosphere that encourages empathy and awareness for the child. The poem encourages the reader to consider how the child’s emotional state can influence the child’s experience and create a better future for the child.
- By using vivid imagery, the poem highlights the child’s emotional state and how it can be shaped by the environment.
- By highlighting the child’s experience, the poem encourages the reader to consider the child’s experience and create a better future for the child.
- Through its symbolic imagery and symbolism, the poem encourages the reader to reflect on the child’s experience and create a better future for the child.
- Through its emotional atmosphere, the poem encourages the reader to become a champion for children and work toward a future that has hope, love, and peace.