Poetry · Chapter
The Naughty Child explained
A brief moralistic poem contrasting the fate of a disobedient child who drowns after venturing to cut flowers with the good children who survive and thrive in a nice town.
What happens
A brief moralistic poem contrasting the fate of a disobedient child who drowns after venturing to cut flowers with the good children who survive and thrive in a nice town.
Themes in this chapter
Death and Mortality
The naughty child's death by drowning serves as a stark warning about the consequences of disobedience.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator recounts the cautionary tale of the naughty child.
Key passages
“The naughty child Who ventured to go cut flowers, Fell into the mill-pond And was drowned.”
A disobedient child who went to pick flowers fell into a mill pond and died.
The central event of the poem illustrating the peril of naughtiness.
“But the good children all Are living yet, Nice folks now In a very nice town.”
In contrast, the well-behaved children are still alive and have become respectable citizens in a pleasant town.
The moral conclusion rewarding obedience.