Music for Your Pleasure

Children in the Darkness

Evidence

Elaboration

Point of View

A man in Vietnam who pities the children

--------------------------------------


Could we simply light a candle
Could we give them half a chance
Could we teach them how to read
Could we teach them how to dance


Or will a war consume them
Their body and their soul
Will their life and blood be poured
Down some endless thirsty hole


From the poem, we can know that the poet is pitiful of the children's life and condition as he wishes to teach them, educate them, give them a meaning and taste of real childhood.

The poet further states his pities for the children as he states that the children maybe destroyed by war and their soul totally and fully consumed by it.






Situation and Setting

A world unlike of any other child

--------------------------------------

Who have not seen the light

Who someone will teach to fight

Chalk and blackboards will not be

these children are not free

Or will a war consume them





The poet creates an abnormal children that has not seen the brighter side of life and do not exist in the real world, not living like any other normal child. This can be seen from"who have not seen the light... who someone will teach to fight". The poet makes a condition of darkness and violence for the children as they do not see the "light" in life and will be taught to be violent killers as they are taught to fight at such a young age.


The poet further creates an abnormal condition for the child as he would not see 'chalk and blackboards', normal classes, for his childhood unlike other children who experience the conventional education. This expands on the abnormal life that these children live

Language/ Diction


cannot flee... not free


no flight... no light


Could we(x4)


Back into darkness(x2)







The poet uses rhyme to help bring across the idea of the children being trapped. The poet uses the rhyme to make his words about the life of the 'blind' children stand out and bring across the great contrast. Such as"cannot flee... not free && no flight... no light". Further, deepening the concept that the children are trapped and there is no escape for them.


The author also uses repetition of could we to bring across the possibility of them helping these children but it is only a distant possibility like what if. This makes the readers think about what a different life these children would lead if we 'could...' The author also uses repetition to emphasis the children's lost of freedom and deprivation of life in Vietnam as the poet focuses on reminding that these children are trapped in the dark shadow of deprivation as seen from the repetition of 'back into the darkness'