The Toys

Reference to the Context

Introduction

In this narrative poem, the poet points out that God is always kind and merciful to man but man often fails to follow the commands of his Creator. The poem relates the story of father and son. The father treats the son harshly but later realizes his mistake and asks for forgiveness from God for his foolish behaviour. He hopes that as he has forgiven his son, God would pardon him for his childishness.

Lines

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.
Explanation

The poem tells the story of a father and his son. The little boy always appeared to be serious and thoughtful. He behaved like grown-ups but sometime his childish instinct made him commit follies. When he disobeyed his father for the seventh time, he was beaten, scolded and turned out without being kissed. There was no one to defend or console him because his mother was no more in this world.

Lines

THEN FEARING LEST HIS GRIEF SHOULD HINDER SLEEP,
I VISITEDHIS BED,
BUT FOUND HIM SLUMBERING DEEP,
WITH DARKEN’D EYELIDS, AND THEIR LASHES YET
FROM HIS LATE SOBBING WET.
Explanation

The father realized that he had been too harsh with his son. He feared that the child might not be able to sleep due to his grief. He visited his son’s bed and found him sound asleep. The boy had fallen into a slumber while weeping because his eyes appeared swollen and his eyelashes were still wet with tears.

Lines

AND I, WITH MOAM,
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 BLUE BELLS,
AND TWO FRENCH COPPER COINS RANGED THERE WITH CAREFUL ART,
TO COMFORT HIS SAD HEART.
Explanation

The father felt very repentant and aggrieved. He absorbed the tears of his son in his lips but left his own tears on his face. He noticed that the boy had sought consolation in small, ordinary objects. Near his bed, he had pulled a table on which he had arranged very skillfully things like counters, a red stone, a rough piece of glass, some flowers and shells and two coins. All these insignificant things provided ease and comfort to his sad heart.

Lines

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 UNDERSTAND,
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.’
Explanation

The father was so overawed with shame and grief that when that night he prayed to God, he could not help shedding tears of sincere regret. He pointed out that man fails to understand the commands of God, and there are some who do not fear God even on their death-bed. However, God is the most Beneficent and the most Merciful. He provides man with all the simple joys of life. The father forgives his son and hopes that God, being like and guardian and benefactor of the entire human race would pardon him for his rash and unreasonable behaviour towards his son.