Pugh1

AJPugh
Mrs.Stanford
ENG234
2May2016
TheirLittleBloodiedHands
Theirlittledelicatehandswraparoundthemachinehandles,pushingandpulling,pushing
andpulling,workingdayandnightjusttokeepfoodonthetableajobpreviouslymeantforthe
parents.Thechildrenareanecessitytoemployersduringtheindustrializationtimeperiod.
Theirsmallstatureallowedforthemtowriggletheirwayinsmallerspacesunfitforlarger
employees.Also,thefactthattheyareonlyafewyearsintolifeallowsforemployerstotake
advantageoftheirnaivetyandpaythemwellbelowtheaveragewagejusttosavethemafew
measlydollars.Thistimeperiodneglectedthejuvenilelivesofthechildrendespitethefactthat
theyreyoung.Theyneverhadtheopportunitytogooutsideandplayamongstfriends.They
neverhadthechancetogotoschoolandgetaneducationworthmorethanmoney.Neveronce
weretheyabletositathomeandplayintheirroomwithoutaworryintheworld.Insteadthey
work,daysupondays,nightafternight,justtomakeanonsufficientamountofmoneythat
wontevenpayforadecentmealtoplaceuponthedinnertableintheevening.Asridiculousas
thismaysound,thisisreallywhatoccurredduringthisperiod.In
TheCryoftheChildren
,
ElizabethBarrettBrowningdoesanimpeccablejobatexplainingthistimeperiodinawaythat
readersoftodayssocietycanunderstandthroughheruseoffantasticimagery,herdistinctive
tone,andheroverallmessage.

Pugh2

Theylookupwiththeirpaleandsunkenfaces,Andtheirlooksaresadtosee,Forthe
mansgriefabhorrent,drawsandpressesDownthecheeksofinfancy(Browning2).These
wordsslashacrosstheheartofitsreaders,allowingthemtobecomeemotionallyattachedwithin
thestorytheirheartstringsintertwinedwithinthesmall,finewordsprintedacrossthepage.
PhraseslikethesecomeasBrowningsspecialityconsideringsheusesthemveryfrequentlyand
inalltherightplacesofthestory.Withtheuseofverydescriptivewords,Browningisableto
pullherreaderintothebookbecausetheycanimaginethesceneofthispoemintheirheads
unlikeotherpoetswhomakeitratherdifficultfortheirreaderstovisualizewhatsgoingon.This
comesasnoproblemtoBrowning.Sheisabletofluentlyincorporatedetailedimagerywithinthe
textwithoutgivingitasecondthought.Thisissomethingthatallgreatpoetsneedtopossessin
ordertobecomeaverycrediblewriter.WhenBrowningusesherdescriptivediction,itallowsfor
thereadertofeelliketheyarethereinthestoryalongwiththedustcoveredchildrenandunsafe
workingmachines.Thereaderreallyfeelsliketheyaretherewatchingthechildrencutofflimbs
accidentallyduetothefactthattheyaretooyoungtounderstandhowthemachineworks,or
safetyingeneralforthatmatter.Theyreallyfeelliketheyarethereinthesmokey,ashcovered
warehousewiththeemployeeswhoslaveawayatmachinesfordays.Theyfeelliketheycan
actuallyseewhatthepoemistryingtobringtolife,whichinthiscaseistheunsafeworking
conditionsforchildrenduringindustrialization.Withouttheanimationofthepoemthanksto
Browningswords,thereaderwouldneverbeabletofullyunderstandthepointthatBrowningis
tryingtogetacrossletaloneunderstandthepoematall.WithoutthewordsofBrowning,this
poemwouldneverhavebeenabletostriketheaudienceasitdid,andmakethedifferencethatit
hasamongthepeople.

Pugh3

AlthoughBrowningsuseofimagerydidassistrathergracefullywiththerisetofameof
thispoem,thispoemwouldnthavebecomeanythingspecialifitwasntforthetonethatwasset
fromtheverybeginningofreading.Doyehearthechildrenweeping,Omybrothers,Erethe
sorrowcomeswithyears(Browning1)?Thesewordsletthereaderknowthetoneofthepoem
immediatelywhichisgreatforthereaderbecauseitletsthemunderstandhowtheyaresupposed
tocomprehendthereading.Forexample,ifthefirstwordsofthispoemwereacorny,oneliner
joke,thenfromthenonthetonefortheentirereading,despitethepoetstrueintentions,would
becomical.Thereaderwouldthinkthatthepoemismeanttohumortheminsteadofeducating
themabouttheveryseriousmatterofchildlabors,whichisthecompleteoppositeofwhat
Browningwants.Thisiswhyshebeganthereadingwithaverysternapproach.Thislet
Browningcomeoffascompletelyseriouswhenitcomestothisdelicatetopic.Browningstrue
intentionsofthispoemaretoallowpeopletoseewhatisreallygoingonbehindcloseddoors.
Shewantspeopletoseethatlifeisnotabunchoffairytalesandrainbows.Therearechildren
behindthesecloseddoors.Thosechildrenareslavingawayatmachinesthataremeantformuch
biggerpeople.Thosechildrenarecoughingupdustthathasbeeningestedduetothepollutedair.
Thosechildrenarenotliving.Withsuchagenuinelyheartfelttopic,therearealmostnoother
approachestodiscusssuchasituationotherthanaseriousapproach.
Usingbothimageryandtonecanassistinthecreationofabeautifulpoem,butthepoem
wouldbenothingwithoutanoverallmessage.Itslikerunninginaracewithnofinishline.
Thereneedstobesomesortoflightattheendofthetunnelornoonwouldeverwanttofinish!
Atleastinthiscase,thereisalightattheendandBrowningdoesafantasticjobatbrightening
thetunnelwithherexcellentwisdom.Duringthetimeofindustrialization,thefactthatchildren

Pugh4

werebeingneglectedinwarehouseswascompletelyunknowntothenormalcitizen.Children
wereforcedbysocietytoworkjusttokeepfoodonthetableintheafternoonandeventhen,
sometimestherestillwasntfood.Withthisgoingunnoticed,itcontinuedtoworsenwithtime.
Employersfeltabsolutelynosympathyforthechildrenslowlykillingthemselveseverydayjust
tomakeafewbucks.Parentshadnochoicebuttogettheirchildrenjobsorelsetheentire
householdwouldstarvetodeath.ThetimeperiodwasoneoftheworstinAmericanhistory.
Foodwasscarce.Childrenwerebeingworkedtothebone.Moneywasrunningthin.Noonewas
theretohelpremedythesituation.Americawasatitslowestpossibledownfallduringthistime
withnotospreadawarenessabouttheaverageAmericanlife.Americanneededhelp.They
couldntcontinueondownthispath.Theywouldhaveneversurvived.Butwiththehelpof
multiplenobodiessuchasElizabethBrowning,theywereabletogetthewordoutaboutthe
tragediesgoingoninAmerica.Peopleneededtoseethatthislifestylecouldnotcontinueon
muchlonger.Peopleneededtoseethatwhatwasgoingonbehindclosedcouldnotkeepgoing
onthewaythatitwas.IfAmericawouldhavecontinueddownthepathitwas,therewouldbeno
Americalikethereistoday.
Overall,Browningdoesanexcellentjobofdiscussinganddiffusinghertheoriesand
ideasofchildlaborthroughoutsociety.Withouttheworksofpeoplelikeher,theindustrialtime
periodwouldhavenevercometoaclose.ThankstopeoplelikeElizabethBrowning,many
changeshavebeenputinplacetopreventssuchthingsfromeverhappeningagain.Forexample,
onemajorchangefromthistimeperiodismostprominentlythechildlaborlaws.Childrenmust
nowbeacertainageinordertoworkforabusiness.WithouttheimagerythatBrowningused,
thereaderwouldhaveneverbeenabletobecomeasattachedastheywere.Withtheimagery,the

Pugh5

readerwasabletofeelliketheywereapartoftheindustrialrevolutionaswell.Brownings
distincttoneiswhatalsosetthemoodthroughoutthepoem.Finally,Browningofficiallymade
thepoemwhatitistodaybyherpowerfulmessagethatwasportrayedinthereading.

Pugh6

WorkCited
Browning,ElizabethBarrett."TheCryoftheChildren."
TheNortonAnthologyofEnglish
Literature:TheRomanticPeriod
.9thed.Vol.D.NewYork:W.W.Norton,2012.
11241128.Print.