Little Boy Crying Flashcards
Summary
In Mervyn Morris’ poem ‘Little Boy Crying’, the child persona has been playing in
the rain and the father reprimands him with a slap to which he reacts instinctively.
His laughter becomes loud howls of shock and anger accompanied by floods of
tears.
What does the child allude to when his father reprimands him?
The young child imagines revenge, alluding to the popular fairytale ‘Jack and the
Beanstalk’
The father becomes the ogre from ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ with the child seeing
himself as Jack chopping down the tree for the ogre to fall to his death.
How did the poet want the father to be perceived? Explain the last stanza.
The poem reveals that the child’s father is not unkind, but a remorseful parent
who sees the need to be discipline his son although it hurts them both.
The father feels that while he has caused his son to experience unhappiness, it is
necessary for the child to learn that life is not about unlimited play, that
something that looks pleasing may be harmful.
Form in the poem
The poem uses free verse in which the enjambement (the run-on lines)
focuses attention on specific words to add emphasis. For example, the use of
“tight” at the break of the line describes the tenseness of the child as he gathers
breath to howl while the turn of the line explains the frustration which prompts
this reaction.
Tone in the poem- is an author’s attitude he/she chooses to convey to their audience
The tone is sympathetic, reflective and tinged with humor when the child is
thinking about fairy tale ways to slay his “ogre” father.
Mood in the poem- is basically what the poet what’s the reader to feel when reading the poem.
The mood is reflective as the poem leads one to contemplate the nature of
parenting and the often unpleasant disciplinary tasks it involves.
Allusion
This refers to an indirect reference to some
well-known historical event, incident, literary or artistic work, place or person. In the poem, the child makes a reference to ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ where he recreates the tale with himself as Jack and his father as the ogre.
Imagery
The visual depiction in the lines “bright
eyes/swimming tears, splashing bare feet” help the readers to identify with the pitiful image the child is intentionally trying to present to his father.
Alliteration
This refers to the repetition of consonant sounds at the start of successive words, as in “day dawned”.
In the poem, the use of alliteration as in “grim giant” and “colossal cruel” emphasizes the child’s anger and contributes to the sound effect of the poem.
Contrast
The child’s world contrasts with the adult world and this difference is presented in the child’s point of view, his reaction to the situation in his world and his physical size in relation to his father.
Father’s reaction vs little boy’s reaction
The child reacts instinctively to correction by
unrestrained crying and “hate”. His small
size rendered him powerless to wreak the
revenge he would like to.
However, the father exhibits judgement and
restrain in his behavior. He discerns a
potential danger and tries to protect his child.
Childhood
The innocent world of the child with its focus on play, fairy tales, and need
for parental affection is presented through the activities and responses of the
three-year-old persona.
The child perceives the world with little discernment and wants to indulge his
desire to play in the rain without thought of possible consequences.
Childhood
The child’s reaction to discipline is appropriate for his age as he throws a
tantrum and use his imagination to create scenarios in which he holds the
power over his father.
The visual imagery of the child crying also depicts the absence on
self-consciousness and the free expression of emotions typical of young
children.
Parenting: Father/Son Relationships
The poem presents an incident between a father and his son, who, evidently,
share a close bond. The father adopts the role of a firm but loving parent
whose disciplinary measures emanate from his desire to protect his son from
possible danger to his health.
Parenting is presented as an emotionally challenging role which may involve
tremendous internal conflict and mental anguish.
Discipline is part of the job of parenting and the father knows the necessity of
discipling his son if he is to learn that life is not always about play. The act of
disciplining is seen as a form of “tough love” that causes pain to both parent
and child.
Time/ Innocence and Experience
The stages of life begin with the childish innocence of the little boy whose
view of the world is of it as a place to play. The child, typically, is unaware of
the concept of danger and so, is unable to recognize when something may be
harmful to him.
The adult’s maturity is able to discern danger contrasts with the child’s
naivety. The father sees that playing in the rain for a three-year-old, while
enjoyable at the moment, may later on cause him to fall sick.
The adult recognizes that there are consequences to actions while the child
thinks only of the immediate gratification of his impulses.
