The Cry of the Children – Themes of Literary Works

The Cry of the Children

‘For oh,’ say the children, ‘we are weary,

And we cannot run or leap—

If we cared for any meadows, it were merely

To drop down in them and sleep.

Our knees tremble sorely in the stooping–

We fall upon our faces, trying to go;

And, underneath our heavy eyelids drooping,

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 are droning, turning,—

Their wind comes in our faces,—

Till our hearts turn,—our head, with pulses burning,

And the walls turn in their places—

Turns the sky in the high window blank and reeling—

Turns the long light that droppeth down the wall—

Turn the black flies that crawl along the ceiling—

All are turning, all the day, and we with all,—

And, all day, the iron wheels are droning;

And sometimes we could pray,

‘O ye wheels,’ (breaking out in a mad moaning)

‘Stop! be silent for to-day!’ ‘

-Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Theme:

Childhood stage is for learning and playing, not for working as laborer.

Children comprise the future of any nation. The importance of childhood should be analyzed and they should be sent to schools to learn and not to factories to work.