“The Cry of the Children” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning: A Critical Analysis

   Will you stand, to move the world, on a child’s heart, —

Stifle down with a mailed heel its palpitation,

   And tread onward to your throne amid the mart ?

Our blood splashes upward, O our tyrants,

      And your purple shews your path ;

But the child’s sob curseth deeper in the silence

      Than the strong man in his wrath !”

1. Exploitation of Children

One of the central themes of The Cry of the Children is the exploitation of children during the Industrial Revolution. Elizabeth Barrett Browning vividly portrays the suffering of young laborers in mines and factories, highlighting their physical and emotional exhaustion. Lines such as “For all day, we drag our burden tiring, / Through the coal-dark, underground” reveal the grueling conditions the children endure. Their labor is likened to a form of living death, as they lament, “We are weary, / And we cannot run or leap.” Browning’s use of vivid imagery and repetitive descriptions of their weariness underscores the unnatural and inhumane demands placed on children, drawing attention to the moral failure of a society that sacrifices its most vulnerable for economic gain.

2. Loss of Innocence

The poem emphasizes the premature loss of innocence among the children, who experience profound sorrow instead of the joy and freedom typical of youth. Browning contrasts the natural world’s vitality—”The young lambs are bleating in the meadows; / The young birds are chirping in the nest”—with the bitter tears of the children: “But the young, young children… are weeping bitterly.” This juxtaposition highlights how industrialization strips children of their childhood, replacing innocence with despair. Furthermore, their exposure to death at a young age, as seen in the line, “Little Alice died last year her grave is shapen,” intensifies the tragic loss of innocence. The poem reveals the devastating emotional toll of industrial labor, which denies children the carefree experiences of youth.

3. Spiritual Alienation

Another significant theme is the spiritual alienation caused by relentless suffering. The children express doubt in divine justice, questioning, “Who is God that He should hear us, / While the rushing of the iron wheels is stirred?” The industrial environment, symbolized by the incessant turning of wheels, drowns out both their prayers and any sense of divine presence. Browning portrays how the children’s faith is eroded by their experiences, as they state, “We look up for God, but tears have made us blind.” This spiritual alienation not only reflects their personal despair but also critiques a society that values economic progress over moral responsibility, leaving the children abandoned by both man and God.

4. Social Injustice

Browning critiques the social injustice inherent in a system that prioritizes industrial and economic growth over human well-being. The poem’s repeated address to “O my brothers” serves as a direct appeal to the readers, urging them to acknowledge their complicity in perpetuating the children’s suffering. The line, “How long, O cruel nation, / Will you stand, to move the world, on a child’s heart,” accuses society of building its prosperity on the physical and emotional exploitation of children. The vivid image of “blood splashes upward” symbolizes the cost of industrial progress, while the “child’s sob curseth deeper in the silence” serves as a haunting reminder of the moral consequences of ignoring their plight. Through these indictments, Browning calls for social reform and moral accountability.

1. How does Elizabeth Barrett Browning critique the industrialization of Victorian society through the poem?

Browning’s poem serves as a powerful critique of the Industrial Revolution, emphasizing the human cost of industrial progress. She highlights how the mechanization of labor dehumanizes workers, particularly children, who are reduced to cogs in the industrial machine. The relentless motion of the “iron wheels” symbolizes the inescapable and oppressive force of industrialization: “For all day, the wheels are droning, turning.” Browning juxtaposes the natural world’s freedom and vibrancy—”The young lambs are bleating in the meadows”—with the children’s sorrowful reality in the “dark of the coal-shadows.” This stark contrast underscores how industrialization not only exploits human life but also disconnects society from the natural world, transforming it into a bleak and oppressive environment. The poem critiques the moral bankruptcy of a society that prioritizes economic growth over the well-being of its people, especially its youngest and most vulnerable members.

2. How does the poem explore the theme of spiritual alienation among the children?

Browning portrays spiritual alienation as a direct result of the children’s relentless suffering, suggesting that their faith has been eroded by the harsh realities of their lives. The poem asks, “Who is God that He should hear us, / While the rushing of the iron wheels is stirred?” Here, the noise of industrial machines drowns out both the children’s prayers and any sense of divine presence. The children’s fragmented prayer, reduced to the simple phrase “Our Father,” highlights their limited spiritual connection, further underscored by their belief that God is unresponsive: “He is speechless as a stone.” This alienation extends beyond religion to a broader critique of Victorian society, which has abandoned its moral and spiritual responsibility to protect its most vulnerable members. Browning uses this theme to underline the devastating psychological impact of labor exploitation, which strips children not only of their physical well-being but also their hope and faith.

3. What role does nature play in the poem, and how does it contrast with the children’s reality?

Nature in The Cry of the Children is presented as a symbol of innocence, freedom, and vitality, in stark contrast to the oppressive and unnatural conditions of the children’s lives. Browning uses imagery of vibrant natural life—”The young lambs are bleating in the meadows; / The young birds are chirping in the nest”—to underscore what the children are denied. The contrast becomes even starker when the children respond with, “Leave us quiet in the dark of the coal-shadows.” This response reflects their alienation from the natural world, which has become irrelevant in their world of relentless labor and despair. Nature also serves as a moral backdrop, emphasizing the unnaturalness of the children’s suffering and the moral failing of a society that allows it. Browning’s use of nature as a foil to industrialization critiques the broader societal disconnect from humanity and the environment.

4. How does Browning evoke empathy and call for social reform in the poem?

Browning employs rhetorical devices, vivid imagery, and direct appeals to evoke empathy for the children and call for social reform. The repeated address to “O my brothers” personalizes the issue, urging readers to acknowledge their complicity in perpetuating the children’s suffering. Browning uses haunting imagery, such as “pale and sunken faces” and “our grave-rest is very far to seek,” to make the children’s plight visceral and immediate. The line, “How long, O cruel nation, / Will you stand, to move the world, on a child’s heart,” directly challenges societal priorities, calling for a moral reckoning. By juxtaposing the children’s suffering with the indifference of their “happy Fatherland,” Browning critiques the hypocrisy of a nation that prides itself on freedom while exploiting its own people. The poem’s emotional appeal and moral urgency serve as a call to action, urging readers to advocate for social and labor reform.