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Alliteration

The poem "The Cry of the Children" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning addresses the tragic plight of child laborers in England during the Industrial Revolution. The speaker asks the children to go play, but they refuse, knowing they must work in the dangerous mines and factories. The children lament that they may die before their time due to the harsh working conditions. The poem highlights the case of a girl named Alice who died and was buried in an unmarked grave, underscoring the indifference shown to these exploited working children. Browning conveys the disillusionment and injustice endured by children who were deprived of their innocence and right to a childhood.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
142 views

Alliteration

The poem "The Cry of the Children" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning addresses the tragic plight of child laborers in England during the Industrial Revolution. The speaker asks the children to go play, but they refuse, knowing they must work in the dangerous mines and factories. The children lament that they may die before their time due to the harsh working conditions. The poem highlights the case of a girl named Alice who died and was buried in an unmarked grave, underscoring the indifference shown to these exploited working children. Browning conveys the disillusionment and injustice endured by children who were deprived of their innocence and right to a childhood.

Uploaded by

Yasyr
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Lines 9-12

In this pivotal second stanza, the speaker of the poem entreats his Captain to Rise up and hear
the bells. In essence the speaker laments that his Captain, having led his crew bravely to victory,
will not receive the fanfare that is his just due. At the same time Whitman blends two distinct
scenes: one in which crowds gather to receive and celebrate the Captain (Lincoln) upon his
return from military victory; and the second in which people gather to lament him as a fallen
hero.

The bells of the second stanza are presumably the bells rung in celebration of military victory;
however, knowing the great Captain and leader has died the bells might also symbolize funeral
bells tolled in mourning. Similarly, the flag, is flown in honor of the Captain both as a symbol
of rejoicing and victory and as a symbol of lamentationas in the tradition of flying the
American flag at half-mast when a respected American dies. The bugle, a quintessentially
military musical instrument, alludes to both military victory and to Taps, the requiem
traditionally played at funerals of fallen soldiers.

"Don't Quit!" A simple poem to inspire


Keep your mind sharp and focused on during training

There are times in every police officers career when they may be seduced by thoughts of just
giving up. It might be after they have been passed over for a job assignment, or promotion. It
could be after a judge makes a decision that shows compassion for a criminal and disregards the
concerns of a victim. It could be in a ditch along the interstate while struggling over control of a
duty weapon and their arms are feeling like lead weights. Tragically it could be when an officers
life blood is flowing onto the pavement, while lying seriously wounded and tenaciously trying to
hold onto life.

There is a poem that has been inspiring Americans for many years. Sadly, no one knows for
certain who wrote it, but the message is so simple it is profound to think about the impact that it
has had on so many. It could have been written with police officers in mind. The author received
no fame, no fortune, and no credit. The writer just penned these words and left them for all
humanity to ponder:

Dont Quit!
When things go wrong, and they sometimes will,
When the road youre trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but you mustnt quit.

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A poem in memoriam: "One Million Souls Lie Sleeping"


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Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When one might have won had he stuck it out.
Dont give up though the pace seems slow,
You might succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victors cup.
And he learned to late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the victors crown.

Success is failure turned inside out,


The silver tint of the cloud of doubt,
And you can never tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar.
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit,
Its when things seem worst that you mustnt quit!

Some might think these are just words, but words can be churned into thoughts. Thoughts can
inspire decisive actions and deeds that lead to success or even survival.

If one was to ask an Olympian if they had any poems or quotes that they lived by and kept posted
in their training room they would most certainly say yes. Some may even pull out a dog-eared
copy of a poem that spurred them on to a gold medal. When one thinks about it, there may come
a time in a police officers life, when the victors cup may be much more precious than an
Olympic Gold medal. It might be life itself.

Next time you are in the gym working out, on a trail running, on the range shooting, or pounding
a bag in your defensive tactics class, imagine yourself facing a determined suspect on the street.
Give your training some context and make your preparations real rather than mindless
repetitions. Think these words:

I must stick to the fight when Im hardest hit,


Its when things seem worst that I mustnt quit.

Stay safe, stay strong, stay positive.

About the author


Lt. Dan Marcou retired as a highly decorated police lieutenant and SWAT Commander with 33
years of full time law enforcement experience. He is a nationally recognized police trainer in
many police disciplines and is a Master Trainer in the State of Wisconsin. He has authored three
novels The Calling: The Making of a Veteran Cop , S.W.A.T. Blue Knights in Black Armor, and
Nobody's Heroes are all available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. Visit his website and
contact Dan Marcou
c. Flowers/ aster symbolizes truth

d. Birds symbolizes the honesty

e. Harvest/ crop symbolizes the goodness

f. The oxen strong symbolizes the great merit or reward from God

g. Song symbolizes the praise to God.

9. Message: We should be open minded to see another people in life even it seems peculiar
because everyone has right to recognize and feel the existence of God.

Summary of The Cry of the Children by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The summary of The Cry of the Children by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is an instance of a
problematic piece that speaks volumes about the down trodden state of child workers. As a
matter of fact, the idea of The Cry of the Children had its roots when Elizabeth Barrett Browning
heard the cries of children who were made to work in mines and factories under gruesome
circumstances.

The singular style used in the poem is a trademark of Elizabeth Barrett Browning which had
been effective to portray and pen picture the thoughts and disillusionment-concurring themes that
she had been dealing with in her political poems. The poem starts with the speaker asking the
children to go and play like what is expected of a child. Surprisingly, they refuse. The poet uses
irony here to project the idea of disillusionment which occurs as a recurring motif in the poem. It
also forms one of the central ideas of The Cry of the Children and it continues to play and ploy
with the minds of the readers especially when discussing issues like that of religion or a fall out.

The theme of The Cry of the Children is also an arousing concern about child labor and hence
lingers with the idea whether adults would have liked to see themselves in a similar situation.
Having said that, the poem revolves around children who form the idea of The Cry of the
Children. The issues receives a flare touch as Elizabeth Barrett Browning touches upon religion
as well and couples the same thus running an undercurrent of emotions that is conveyed through
the theme of The Cry of the Children.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning reserves her sentiment for the children who are made to work in
factories and hence had to part away with their childhood and they are deprived of all that things
that other children can do. Let them feel that his cold metallic motion | Is not all the life God
fashions or reveals (lines 93-94). In other words, she strikes a sad chord with her words trying
to convey that people shouldnt have any disillusionment towards religion. The poem goes on to
dug deep as it explores past the general issue of child labor and draws up a sharp contrast with
the working conditions of the adult and adverse situations that they have to face day after day.
The summary of The Cry of the Children by Elizabeth Barrett Browning speaks of times when
government investigations to expose the exploit of the children employed in factories and mines
were high in the society. The poem too carries on the theme of disillusionment which has formed
the essence of Brownings earlier works. Line 37 brings out the real feel of discontent rooted
deep in the poem (True, say the children, it may happen that we die before our time ;). She
speaks of the untimely death of the children as because they are forced to work from a very
tender age. Then there is a mentioning of Little Alice died last year her grave is shapen like a
snowball, in the rime. We looked into the pit prepared to take her: was no room for any work in
the close clay! the very line expresses the agony of the children who are exposed to hazardous
work at an age when they should be running in the fields and screaming their hearts out in sheer
joy. Even after their death, they are deprived of a proper burial. There are no proper medications
when they fall sick and are left to the mercy of time to die and fade away from this wonderful
planet. The poetess stresses on the thought that no matter what the ill or the odds are, children are
little tender roots that demand attention and care to grow. Parents should never let their children
work in the factories or mines even if they are passing through a shad time. The poem also
employs a negative imagery that packs in positive images too ( With your ear down, little Alice
never cries; could we see her face, be sure we should not know her, for the smile has time for
growing in her eyes, ). In other words, the death of Alice is a constant remembrance to the
pitiful conditions of the mines and factories where these children work and hence death is a good
riddance and a pathway to escape from the shackles of slavery (and merry go her moments,
lulled and stilled in the shroud by the kirk-chime. it is good when it happens, say the children,
That we die before our time.).
The image of dead Alice is a significant turn in the course of the poem as because her spirit shall
always be alive. (Lulled and stilled in the shroud by the kirk-chime,) The word Shroud rings
bell depicted as church or of God that is there to protect children and embrace them when they
live the boundaries of Earth. These children who die a silent and a tragic death are blessed souls
as death is way better than their living conditions. In fact, earth is more like a sanctuary to these
little souls who can now rest in peace.

Its good to know:


The Cry of the Children, published in 1842 in Blackwoods, condemned child labour and
helped bring about child labour reforms by raising support for Lord Shaftesburys Ten Hours Bill
(1844)
A Royal Society of Arts blue plaque now commemorates Browning at 50 Wimpole Street

Off To Outer Space Tomorrow Morning


Off To Outer Space Tomorrow Morning:

You can start the Count Down, you can take a last look;
You can pass me my helmet from its plastic hook;
You can cross out my name in the telephone book
For Im off to Outer Space tomorrow morning.

There wont be any calendar, there wont be any clock;


Daylight will be on the switch and winter under lock.
Ill doze when Im sleepy and wake without a knock
For Im off to Outer Space tomorrow morning.

Ill be writing no letters; Ill be posting no mail.


For with nobody to visit me and not a friend in hail,
In solitry confinement as complete as any gaol
Ill be off to Outer Space tomorrow morning.

When my capsule door is sealed and my space-flight has begun,


With the teacups circling round me like the planets round the sun,
Ill be centre of my gravity, a universe of one,
Setting off to Outer Space tomorrow morning.

You can watch on television and follow from afar,


Tracking through your telescope my upward shooting star,
But you neednt think Ill give a damn for you or what you are
When Im off to Outer Space tomorrow morning.

And when the rockets thrust me on my trans-galactic hop,


With twenty hundred light-years before the first stop,
Then you and every soul on earth can go and blow your top
For Im off to Outer Space tomorrow morning.

Norman Nicholson

The word POETRY originates from a Greek word meaning TO MAKE. A poet is thus a maker
and the poem something that is made or created. No single definition of poetry is possible but
some characteristic features of poetry may be mentioned. Poetry has a musical quality with
rhythm, pitch, metre and it may use figures of speech such as simile and metaphor. While quite a
few poems in this selection are in traditional forms, the unit also includes modern poems that are
free from formal restrictions.

Here is a list of English Poems written by various authors. Whatever the question is, poetry may
be the answer. Writers say poetry provides them with comfort, a way to express themselves and
the discipline of finding the essence with few words. Writing the poem (and finding just the right
word) is the measure of success that the authors use. Really good poetry is instinctive. Its who
you are. Its from the heart. You need to expose yourself to all kinds of poets and you may find
your motivation and muse that way. Poetry gets to the core meaning. Poetry expands ideas.

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