“My Parents” by Stephen Spender: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “My Parents” by Stephen Spender

“My Parents” by Stephen Spender, first appeared in his 1933 collection Poems, reflects on the poet’s childhood experiences, particularly the social divide between himself and working-class boys. Through vivid imagery, Spender portrays how his parents shielded him from rough, lower-class children who taunted and physically threatened him. The poem explores themes of class disparity, childhood innocence, fear, and unspoken resentment. The poet describes the boys with “muscles like iron” and “jerking hands,” emphasizing their physical toughness and aggressive nature. Despite their hostility, he expresses a longing to “forgive them,” indicating an underlying desire for understanding and reconciliation. The poem’s popularity stems from its poignant depiction of childhood vulnerability and social inequality, resonating with readers through its emotional depth and accessible language.

Text: “My Parents” by Stephen Spender

Annotations: “My Parents” by Stephen Spender

Line	Annotation (Simple English)	Literary Device & Example
“My parents kept me from children who were rough”	The poet’s parents protected him from aggressive and wild children.	Contrast – The poet’s sheltered upbringing vs. the rough children.
“Who threw words like stones and wore torn clothes”	These children used harsh language like weapons and wore old, torn clothes.	Simile – “Who threw words like stones” (words compared to stones).
“Their thighs showed through rags they ran in the street”	Their clothes were so torn that their thighs were visible as they ran on the streets.	Imagery – Vivid picture of poor children’s condition.
“And climbed cliffs and stripped by the country streams.”	They played freely in nature, climbing cliffs and bathing in streams without care.	Alliteration – “stripped by the country streams” (repetition of ‘s’ sound).
“I feared more than tigers their muscles like iron”	The poet was more afraid of these strong boys than of wild animals.	Simile – “muscles like iron” (strength compared to iron).
“Their jerking hands and their knees tight on my arms”	Their movements were rough, and they physically overpowered him.	Imagery – “jerking hands and knees tight” (intense physical description).
“I feared the salt coarse pointing of those boys”	He feared their harsh teasing and rough gestures.	Alliteration – “salt coarse pointing” (repetition of ‘s’ and ‘c’ sounds).
“Who copied my lisp behind me on the road.”	The boys mocked him by imitating the way he spoke.	Imagery – Creates a visual of bullying behavior.
“They were lithe they sprang out behind hedges”	They were quick and flexible, suddenly jumping out from behind bushes.	Enjambment – The line flows into the next for a continuous effect.
“Like dogs to bark at my world.”	They were aggressive, like dogs barking to attack him and his privileged life.	Metaphor – “bark at my world” (comparing boys to barking dogs).
“They threw mud while I looked the other way, pretending to smile.”	They threw dirt at him, and he pretended not to care by forcing a smile.	Symbolism – “mud” represents humiliation and bullying.
“I longed to forgive them but they never smiled.”	He wanted to make peace, but they never showed kindness in return.	Contrast – The poet’s desire for reconciliation vs. the boys’ hostility.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “My Parents” by Stephen Spender

Literary Device	Example from the Poem	Explanation
Alliteration	“salt coarse pointing”, “stripped by the country streams”	The repetition of consonant sounds creates rhythm and enhances the imagery of roughness and nature.
Allusion	“I feared more than tigers their muscles like iron”	This could allude to the metaphorical idea of physical dominance and power, drawing on the primal fear of wild beasts.
Ambiguity	“I longed to forgive them but they never smiled.”	The poet’s emotions are complex—he wants reconciliation, but their lack of a smile leaves the resolution uncertain.
Anaphora	“I feared more than tigers… I feared the salt coarse pointing of those boys.”	The repetition of “I feared” emphasizes the poet’s fear and anxiety towards the boys.
Assonance	“They threw mud while I looked the other way, pretending to smile.”	The repetition of vowel sounds in “threw,” “mud,” and “looked” adds to the musicality of the line.
Caesura	“I feared more than tigers // their muscles like iron.”	The pause in the middle of the line (marked by //) creates a dramatic effect, emphasizing the contrast between fear and strength.
Contrast	“My parents kept me from children who were rough”	There is a contrast between the poet’s protected, privileged upbringing and the rough, unrefined life of the other children.
Consonance	“Their thighs showed through rags they ran in the street.”	The repetition of the “r” and “s” sounds creates a flowing rhythm that mirrors the movement of the boys.
Enjambment	“They were lithe they sprang out behind hedges / Like dogs to bark at my world.”	The line continues without a pause, creating a natural and fast-paced rhythm that reflects the suddenness of the boys’ actions.
Hyperbole	“I feared more than tigers their muscles like iron.”	Exaggeration is used to emphasize the poet’s fear and the boys’ perceived strength.
Imagery	“Their thighs showed through rags they ran in the street / And climbed cliffs and stripped by the country streams.”	Vivid descriptions help the reader visualize the children’s poor condition and freedom in nature.
Irony	“I longed to forgive them but they never smiled.”	The poet wants to forgive them, yet they never offer any gesture of kindness, making his forgiveness futile.
Metaphor	“Like dogs to bark at my world.”	The boys are metaphorically compared to dogs, emphasizing their wild and aggressive nature.
Onomatopoeia	“Who threw words like stones”	The phrase suggests a harsh, attacking sound, reinforcing the aggression of the boys’ speech.
Paradox	“I longed to forgive them but they never smiled.”	There is a contradiction in the poet’s desire to forgive while the boys continue to be unkind.
Personification	“Who copied my lisp behind me on the road.”	The action of “copying” is given human-like mockery, making the boys seem cruel and calculating.
Repetition	“I feared more than tigers… I feared the salt coarse pointing of those boys.”	The repeated use of “I feared” reinforces the poet’s deep anxiety and sense of threat.
Simile	“Who threw words like stones”, “muscles like iron”, “Like dogs to bark at my world.”	These comparisons enhance the harshness of the boys’ actions and their physical power.
Symbolism	“torn clothes,” “mud,” “smile.”	“Torn clothes” symbolize poverty, “mud” represents humiliation, and “smile” signifies kindness, which is absent.
Tone	Throughout the poem	The tone shifts from fearful to reflective, showing both childhood fear and later contemplation of social class differences.

Themes: “My Parents” by Stephen Spender

• Class Differences and Social Divide: One of the central themes in “My Parents” is the stark contrast between social classes. The speaker’s parents protect him from interacting with working-class children who are described as “rough” and wearing “torn clothes.” These children, in contrast to the poet’s presumably more privileged background, “ran in the street” and engaged in unrestrained physical activities like climbing cliffs and bathing in streams. The difference in lifestyle highlights the division between the privileged and the underprivileged. His parents’ intervention reflects societal norms where class separation was reinforced to maintain status and upbringing. This theme suggests an implicit critique of social inequality and the ways in which it shapes childhood experiences and perceptions.
• Bullying and Childhood Cruelty: The poem vividly portrays the physical and emotional bullying the speaker endured at the hands of the rough boys. The children not only mock him—”Who copied my lisp behind me on the road”—but also physically intimidate him, as seen in the lines “Their jerking hands and their knees tight on my arms.” This highlights the cruelty that can exist in childhood interactions, where physical strength often translates into power over others. The phrase “I feared more than tigers their muscles like iron” exaggerates the speaker’s fear, showing how deeply he felt threatened by them. Despite the harsh treatment, the speaker does not retaliate; instead, he “pretend[s] to smile,” attempting to hide his discomfort. The poem suggests that childhood can be an unkind space where differences—whether in class, speech, or demeanor—become reasons for mockery and exclusion.
• Parental Protection and Its Limitations: Throughout the poem, the poet emphasizes how his parents tried to shield him from harm by keeping him away from “children who were rough.” Their effort to protect him from negative influences suggests the natural instinct of parents to guard their child from violence and bad behavior. However, despite their protection, the speaker still encounters and suffers at the hands of these boys. This highlights the limitations of parental control—no matter how much they try, they cannot fully protect their child from the harsh realities of the world. The speaker’s experiences with bullying, fear, and longing for understanding indicate that exposure to adversity is sometimes unavoidable. The poem, therefore, subtly questions whether excessive parental protection helps or hinders a child’s ability to navigate the world.
• Innocence, Forgiveness, and Unfulfilled Reconciliation: A lingering theme in the poem is the speaker’s innocence and his unfulfilled desire for reconciliation. Despite the cruelty he experiences, he states, “I longed to forgive them but they never smiled.” This line reveals his deep yearning to move beyond the hostility and form some form of connection. However, the lack of reciprocation from the boys emphasizes how childhood conflicts are often one-sided and unresolved. The poem captures the innocence of a child who, despite being tormented, does not develop hatred but instead desires understanding and forgiveness. The absence of the boys’ smiles suggests that reconciliation was never an option, reinforcing the idea that social divisions and personal biases often prevent mutual understanding.

Literary Theories and “My Parents” by Stephen Spender

Literary Theory	Application to the Poem	References from the Poem
Marxist Criticism	This theory examines class struggle and social inequalities, which are central to the poem. The speaker’s parents protect him from lower-class children, highlighting economic disparity and societal divisions. The rough boys, described with “torn clothes” and engaging in unsupervised play, represent the working class, while the speaker symbolizes the privileged elite. The poem critiques how class boundaries shape interactions and childhood experiences.	“My parents kept me from children who were rough / Who threw words like stones and wore torn clothes.”
Psychoanalytic Criticism	This approach explores the unconscious fears, anxieties, and desires of the speaker. The poem reflects childhood trauma, as the speaker expresses deep-seated fear of the rough boys: “I feared more than tigers their muscles like iron.” His parents’ role as protectors aligns with Freudian concepts of parental control shaping a child’s psyche. Additionally, his longing for reconciliation—”I longed to forgive them but they never smiled”—suggests an unresolved emotional conflict.	“I feared the salt coarse pointing of those boys / Who copied my lisp behind me on the road.”
Postcolonial Criticism	Although the poem does not explicitly deal with colonialism, it can be interpreted through a postcolonial lens by analyzing power dynamics and “othering.” The rough boys are marginalized and seen as threatening, much like how colonial subjects were perceived by the ruling class. The speaker’s parents, by shielding him, reinforce the idea of social hierarchy and control over who is deemed acceptable. The boys’ physical aggression and exclusion reflect the tensions between different social groups.	“They were lithe they sprang out behind hedges / Like dogs to bark at my world.”
New Historicism	This theory examines the historical and cultural context of the poem. Written in the early 20th century, “My Parents” reflects the rigid class distinctions of the time. The rough boys symbolize the working class in post-industrial Britain, where poverty was widespread. The parents’ protective nature reflects the era’s emphasis on class-consciousness and maintaining social barriers. The boys’ actions—throwing mud and mocking the speaker—demonstrate the resentment felt by the lower class toward the privileged.	“They threw mud while I looked the other way, pretending to smile.”

Critical Questions about “My Parents” by Stephen Spender

• How does “My Parents” by Stephen Spender explore the theme of class differences?
• In “My Parents”, Stephen Spender vividly portrays class differences through the contrasting lives of the privileged speaker and the rough lower-class boys. The speaker’s parents actively shield him from these boys, highlighting the social barriers that exist between them: “My parents kept me from children who were rough / Who threw words like stones and wore torn clothes.” The imagery of “torn clothes” and the boys running wild in the streets and countryside suggests economic hardship and a lack of parental supervision, in contrast to the speaker’s more controlled and protected upbringing. The physical aggression and mockery from the boys further emphasize this divide, suggesting underlying resentment or social frustration. Through this lens, the poem critiques how class structures shape personal interactions and childhood experiences, reinforcing divisions that persist into adulthood.
• How does Stephen Spender depict childhood bullying and fear in “My Parents”?
• Stephen Spender presents childhood bullying as a central experience in “My Parents”, portraying both physical and psychological intimidation. The speaker recounts his fear of the rough boys, describing them in almost monstrous terms: “I feared more than tigers their muscles like iron / Their jerking hands and their knees tight on my arms.” The comparison to tigers and the description of their physical dominance suggest an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. Additionally, the boys mock his speech impediment: “Who copied my lisp behind me on the road,” which adds an emotional layer to their bullying. Despite this mistreatment, the speaker does not retaliate; instead, he forces himself to appear unaffected: “I looked the other way, pretending to smile.” This moment encapsulates the complex emotions of childhood—fear, shame, and an attempt to maintain dignity even in the face of cruelty. The poem captures the lasting impact of bullying, showing how such experiences shape one’s perception of self and others.
• What role do the speaker’s parents play in “My Parents” by Stephen Spender?
• In “My Parents”, Stephen Spender portrays the speaker’s parents as protective figures who try to shelter him from negative influences. The poem’s opening line, “My parents kept me from children who were rough,” immediately establishes their role in determining his social interactions. Their protective instincts stem from a desire to ensure their child is not exposed to physical harm or bad behavior. However, their intervention also reinforces class divisions, keeping the speaker distanced from the realities of the lower class. Despite their efforts, the speaker still encounters the rough boys and experiences bullying, suggesting that parental protection has its limits. While they may have kept him physically safe, they could not shield him from emotional pain or social conflict. The poem subtly questions whether excessive protection truly benefits a child or simply delays inevitable encounters with the harsher aspects of life.
• How does the ending of “My Parents” by Stephen Spender reflect the speaker’s emotions toward the rough boys?
• The final line of “My Parents”, “I longed to forgive them but they never smiled,” reveals the speaker’s complex and unresolved emotions. Despite being bullied, he does not harbor deep resentment but instead desires reconciliation. His longing to forgive suggests that he wishes to move past the hostility, perhaps recognizing that the boys’ aggression stemmed from their own difficult circumstances. However, the phrase “but they never smiled” implies that the rough boys remained distant, never offering any sign of remorse or understanding. This lack of closure adds a melancholic tone to the poem, highlighting the barriers—both social and emotional—that prevented genuine connection. The ending leaves the reader with a sense of unresolved tension, emphasizing how childhood experiences of conflict and class division often leave lasting emotional scars.

Literary Works Similar to “My Parents” by Stephen Spender

1. “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden – Similar to “My Parents”, this poem explores parental care and sacrifice, though with a focus on unspoken love and hardship.
2. “Piano” by D. H. Lawrence – Like Spender’s poem, this piece reflects on childhood memories and nostalgia, emphasizing the emotions tied to past experiences.
3. “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks – This poem, like “My Parents”, portrays rough, rebellious youth and the consequences of their environment, though with a more direct and rhythmic style.
4. “The Chimney Sweeper” by William Blake – Both poems highlight social class differences and childhood experiences shaped by economic conditions and parental influence.
5. “The Toys” by Coventry Patmore – This poem shares “My Parents”‘s theme of parental protection, childhood innocence, and emotional conflict in relationships.

Representative Quotations of “My Parents” by Stephen Spender

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“My parents kept me from children who were rough”	The speaker acknowledges his parents’ role in shielding him from lower-class boys, setting up the theme of social division.	Marxist Criticism – Highlights class disparity and parental control over social interactions.
“Who threw words like stones and wore torn clothes”	The rough boys are depicted as aggressive and impoverished, emphasizing both their physical and verbal hostility.	Postcolonial Criticism – Represents the “othering” of marginalized groups and their exclusion from privilege.
“Their thighs showed through rags they ran in the street”	The description of torn clothes and exposure suggests poverty and contrasts with the speaker’s sheltered upbringing.	New Historicism – Reflects socio-economic conditions of working-class children in early 20th-century Britain.
“And climbed cliffs and stripped by the country streams.”	The boys are portrayed as free-spirited and wild, engaging with nature in ways the speaker does not.	Ecocriticism – Highlights the contrast between urban privilege and working-class engagement with nature.
“I feared more than tigers their muscles like iron”	The speaker expresses deep fear of the boys, associating them with strength and aggression.	Psychoanalytic Criticism – Demonstrates childhood trauma and fear of physical dominance.
“Who copied my lisp behind me on the road.”	The boys mock the speaker’s speech impediment, reinforcing themes of bullying and social difference.	Disability Studies – Explores how physical or speech differences become targets for social exclusion.
“They were lithe they sprang out behind hedges / Like dogs to bark at my world.”	The boys are likened to animals, emphasizing their wild and aggressive nature.	Animal Studies / Postcolonial Criticism – Examines the dehumanization of marginalized groups through metaphor.
“They threw mud while I looked the other way, pretending to smile.”	The speaker endures bullying but chooses not to react, showing a forced attempt at resilience.	Psychoanalytic Criticism – Suggests repression of emotions and a coping mechanism in childhood.
“I longed to forgive them but they never smiled.”	The speaker desires reconciliation, but the boys remain unresponsive, leaving the conflict unresolved.	Reader-Response Criticism – Highlights emotional complexity and the subjective experience of childhood memories.
“My parents kept me from children who were rough.” (Repeated at the beginning and implied throughout the poem)	The repetition emphasizes parental control and societal separation based on class.	Structuralism – Thematic reinforcement of parental influence and social categorization.

Suggested Readings: “My Parents” by Stephen Spender

1. Spender, Stephen. “My parents kept me from children who were rough.” Enjoying Poetry (1981): 70.
2. Southworth, James Granville. “Stephen Spender.” The Sewanee Review, vol. 45, no. 3, 1937, pp. 272–83. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27535342. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
3. Jackson, Bruce. “The Stories People Tell.” The Antioch Review, vol. 55, no. 3, 1997, pp. 261–76. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/4613529. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.