Page 86 - The English Carnival 7
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The
8. 8. The
Children's
Children's
Hour
Hour
Be Ready!
“The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, conveys the tender
portrayal of a father’s affection for his playful children.The poem also subtly
suggests that love can be a fortress, offering protection and enduring through
CHILDHOOD
UNIT-4 THEME : SCENES FROM
time. However, it reminds us that even the strongest fortresses may one day
crumble, underlining the impermanence of life.
Recite and Understand
Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day’s occupations,
That is known as the Children’s Hour.
I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.
From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.
A whisper, and then a silence,
Yet I know by their merry eyes
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