Stephen Spender's and Vernon Scannell's poems, both titled "Parents Kept Me from Children", explore the complex relationship between parents, children, and the passage of time. While both poems share a common theme of missed connections and lost opportunities, they diverge in their tone, imagery, and ultimately, their message.
Shared Themes: Loss and Longing
Both poems express a deep sense of longing for the innocence and freedom of childhood, which has been sacrificed for the responsibilities of adulthood. Spender's speaker reflects on the "dark and silent streets" he now walks, contrasting them with the "bright and noisy streets" of his youth. Scannell's speaker remembers the "days of unalloyed pleasure" and the "innocent joy" he experienced as a child. Both poems evoke a melancholic tone, tinged with regret for a lost past that seems irretrievably gone.
Divergent Perspectives: Regret vs. Acceptance
Despite sharing a theme of lost innocence, the poems differ in their approach to this loss. Spender's poem focuses on the speaker's regret for the choices he made. He blames his parents for keeping him from experiencing the joy and freedom of childhood. The poem's stark imagery of "broken promises" and "shattered dreams" reflects the speaker's bitterness and resentment towards his parents.
Scannell's poem, on the other hand, conveys a sense of acceptance. While the speaker acknowledges the loss of his youth, he also recognizes the inevitable passage of time and the impossibility of reclaiming what is gone. The poem's final lines, "And in my heart I know / The children's lives go on," suggest a quiet acceptance of the changing seasons of life.
Imagery and Symbolism: Contrasting Visions of Childhood
The two poems also differ in their use of imagery and symbolism. Spender utilizes a more abstract and symbolic style. The "children" in his poem represent not only his own childhood but also the lost potential of the human spirit in a world marred by war and injustice. He uses phrases like "the bright and noisy streets" and "the dark and silent streets" to create a symbolic contrast between the vibrancy of youth and the coldness of adulthood.
Scannell, on the other hand, employs a more concrete and nostalgic imagery. His "children" are specific figures from his past, evoking vivid memories of their games and laughter. The poem's rich descriptions of "laughter ringing out" and "bright, sun-drenched days" paint a picture of a carefree and joyful childhood, now lost but still cherished.
Conclusion
Both "Parents Kept Me from Children" poems explore the complexities of family, time, and memory. While they share a theme of lost innocence and longing for the past, they approach this theme through distinct lenses. Spender's poem is a bitter lament for missed opportunities, while Scannell's poem offers a more melancholic acceptance of the passage of time. Ultimately, these two poems offer different but equally insightful perspectives on the bittersweet experience of growing up and the enduring power of childhood memories.