12th class Poem " The Toys"
Written BY
Coventry Patmore
Original Readings
My little Son, who look'd from thoughtful eyes
And moved and spoke in quiet grown-up wise,
Having my law the seventh time disobey'd,
I struck him, and dismiss'd
With hard words and unkiss'd,
His Mother, who was patient, being dead.
Then, fearing lest his grief should hinder sleep,
I visited his bed,
But found him slumbering deep,
With darken'd eyelids, and their lashes yet
From his late sobbing wet.
And I, with moan,
Kissing away his tears, left others of my own;
For, on a table drawn beside his head.
He had put, within his reach,
A box of counters and a red-vein'd stone,
A piece of glass abraded by the beach
And six or seven shells,
A bottle with bluebells
And two French copper coins, ranged there with careful art,
To comfort his sad heart.
So when that night I pray'd
To God, I wept, and said:
Ah, when at last we lie with tranced breath,
Not vexing Thee in death,
And Thou rememberest of what toys
We made our joys,
How weakly understood
Thy great commanded good,
Then, fatherly not less
Than I whom Thou hast moulded from the clay,
Thou'lt leave Thy wrath, and say,
"I will be sorry for their childishness."
**********************************************
Stanza-1
My little Son, who look'd from thoughtful eyes
And moved and spoke in quiet grown-up wise,
Having my law the seventh time disobey'd,
I struck him, and dismiss'd
With hard words and unkiss'd,
Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-1:
My little son, who had a thoughtful look and acted so calmly and maturely, disobeyed my rule for the seventh time. I punished him, speaking harshly and sending him away without a kiss.
Stanza-2
His Mother, who was patient, being dead.
Then, fearing lest his grief should hinder sleep,
I visited his bed,
But found him slumbering deep,
With darken'd eyelids, and their lashes yet
From his late sobbing wet.
And I, with moan,
Kissing away his tears, left others of my own;
Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-2:
His mother, who was always patient, had passed away. Worried that his sadness might stop him from sleeping, I went to check on him in bed, but I found him fast asleep. His eyelids were dark and still wet from the tears he had cried earlier. I kissed away his tears, but in doing so, I left my own tears behind.
Stanza-3
For, on a table drawn beside his head.
He had put, within his reach,
A box of counters and a red-vein'd stone,
A piece of glass abraded by the beach
And six or seven shells,
A bottle with bluebells
And two French copper coins, ranged there with careful art,
Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-3:
On a table next to his bed, he had placed a few of his little treasures within reach: a box of counters, a stone with red veins, a piece of glass smoothed by the sea, six or seven shells, a bottle filled with bluebell flowers, and two French copper coins, all carefully arranged.
Stanza-4
To comfort his sad heart.
So when that night I pray'd
To God, I wept, and said:
Ah, when at last we lie with tranced breath,
Not vexing Thee in death,
And Thou rememberest of what toys
We made our joys,
Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-4:
He had arranged those little treasures to comfort his sad heart. Later that night, when I prayed to God, I wept and said: When we finally rest in peace, no longer troubling You, please remember how small and simple the things were that once made us happy.
Stanza-5
How weakly understood
Thy great commanded good,
Then, fatherly not less
Than I whom Thou hast moulded from the clay,
Thou'lt leave Thy wrath, and say,
"I will be sorry for their childishness."
Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-5:
We often misunderstood Your great goodness. Then, like a loving father, just as You created me from clay, You will put aside Your anger and say, "I will forgive them for their childish mistakes."
*************************************
The Summary of the poem “The Toys” written by Coventry Patmore
In the poem *"The Toys"* by Coventry Patmore, the speaker recounts a moment when he harshly scolded and struck his young son for disobeying him. Later, feeling regret and concern, the father visits his son's room and finds him asleep, with his eyes still wet from crying. By his bedside, the boy had carefully arranged simple toys and treasures to comfort himself. This deeply moves the father, who then prays to God, asking for forgiveness for human flaws and recognizing how, like a loving father, God may also forgive us for our childish mistakes and misunderstandings.
*************************************
The central idea of the Poem “The Toys” written by Coventry Patmore
The central idea of Coventry Patmore's poem "The Toys" revolves around the themes of parental love, regret, and forgiveness. The speaker, a father, recounts an episode where he scolded and punished his young son for disobedience. Later, filled with guilt and sorrow, he checks on the child and finds him asleep, surrounded by small, innocent objects that bring him comfort. This sight moves the father to tears, realizing how harsh he had been over something so trivial. The poem then transitions to a spiritual reflection, as the father prays to God, hoping that in death, God will forgive humanity’s mistakes and weaknesses, much like a parent forgives a child’s innocent errors. The poem draws a parallel between human frailty (weakliness) and divine mercy.
0 Comments
Start Tuition (in Pakistan or Abroad) from Experienced Online Teachers.
Contact WhatsApp for tutoring and Assignment help on +923339719149