Children Poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Children

Rating: 3.2


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.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Mohammad Muzzammil 20 April 2011

one of the best poems regarding children in a beautiful words along with musical tone.

23 11 Reply
Adam Yaklin 20 April 2010

Good comparison. Easy enough to catch, but still made you think.

15 13 Reply
Ramesh T A 20 April 2010

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?

19 9 Reply
Carlos Echeverria 20 April 2012

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.

19 8 Reply
Nahida Uddin 25 April 2009

This poem is very beautiful

17 9 Reply
Dr Dillip K Swain 09 February 2024

In your thoughts the brooklet's flow....liked this line!

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 09 February 2024

MY FINAL RESPONSE: Excellent Children-poem. TOP Marks! Congratulations to the family of the late great Poet!

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 09 February 2024

SIX: Ultimately, "Children" reminds us of the preciousness of childhood and the simple joys that children bring to our lives. It's a heartfelt tribute to the wonder and purity of youth

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 09 February 2024

FIVE: Longfellow suggests that their presence is more valuable than any human achievements or knowledge found in books.

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 09 February 2024

FOUR: The poem celebrates children as essential to the world's vitality. They bring warmth and brightness, much like leaves nourish a forest.

0 0 Reply
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