Children Poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Children
Come to me, O ye children!
For I hear you at your play,
And the questions that perplexed me
Have vanished quite away.
Ye open the eastern windows,
That look towards the sun,
Where thoughts are singing swallows
And the brooks of morning run.
In your hearts are the birds and the sunshine,
In your thoughts the brooklet's flow,
But in mine is the wind of Autumn
And the first fall of the snow.
Ah! what would the world be to us
If the children were no more?
We should dread the desert behind us
Worse than the dark before.
What the leaves are to the forest,
With light and air for food,
Ere their sweet and tender juices
Have been hardened into wood, --
That to the world are children;
Through them it feels the glow
Of a brighter and sunnier climate
Than reaches the trunks below.
Come to me, O ye children!
And whisper in my ear
What the birds and the winds are singing
In your sunny atmosphere.
For what are all our contrivings,
And the wisdom of our books,
When compared with your caresses,
And the gladness of your looks?
Ye are better than all the ballads
That ever were sung or said;
For ye are living poems,
And all the rest are dead.
Bright side of Nature denotes happiness of children and the dull part of it is grown up old men! Without children where is cheers as sunny as Nature in the world?
Good comparison. Easy enough to catch, but still made you think.
New parents often say that having a child puts things in perspective...something Longfellow echoes in this poem. To hazard an answer to Mr. Pruchnicki's query: Longfellow's 'style and form' is so memorable simply because of the classic poetic techniques he employs; his rhyme and meter are used with precision and the music they create are like a hit top 40 single which keeps playing in our heads.
In response to Kevin Straw. The dark before us is the unknown. While the desert behind us is before we have rooted as trees and sprouted our children/leaves. At least I think, thats how I took it.
Lovely words from the father of three motherless children. Goes so well with 'The Children's Hour' by the same author
I can't remember reading poems EVER that have elicited such a brilliant endorphin rush as Children and Christmas Bells. Merry Christmas From me, Darien IL
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Delivering Poems Around The World
Poems are the property of their respective owners. All information has been reproduced here for educational and informational purposes to benefit site visitors, and is provided at no charge...
9/25/2023 1:16:52 PM # 1.0.0.1113
one of the best poems regarding children in a beautiful words along with musical tone.