# Lessons of the Street explained — Poetry > Chapter companion for Poetry by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. ## What happens The narrator reflects on the diverse human experiences encountered while walking through life, observing beggars, the gold-obsessed, the pale student, a child of shame, and a serene face aiming for a higher life, all culminating in a meditation on mortality and the fleeting nature of existence. ## Themes in this chapter ### Social Injustice and Class The poem highlights the beggar, the gold-seeker, the pale student, and the child of shame, illustrating class divisions and societal neglect. ### Resilience and Sacrifice The calm face 'aiming for a higher life' suggests resilience amid the strife, while the mournful glance and deathly pale face hint at sacrifice and loss. ## Character check-ins ### Unknown Narrator The narrator observes and reflects on the various figures encountered in the street. ## Key lines > Now a beggar sues for succor⁠— Nay, repress that look of pride! ’Neath that wrecked and shattered body Doth a human soul reside. When a beggar asks for help, do not feel superior; beneath their broken exterior is a human soul. _The narrator urges compassion and recognition of shared humanity._ > Here’s a brow that seems to tell you, “I am prematurely old; I have spent my youthful vigor In an eager search for gold.” A person's weary face reveals they have aged early from relentlessly pursuing wealth. _Critique of materialism and its toll on youth._ > On the cheek of yon pale student Is a divorcement most unkind⁠— ’Tis the cruel separation Of his body from his mind. The student's pale face shows a harsh split between his physical health and his intellectual pursuits. _Highlights the neglect of physical well-being in favor of study._ > Here a painted child of shame Flaunts in costly robes of sin, With a reckless mirth that cannot Hide the smouldering fires within. A young prostitute wears expensive clothes and laughs carelessly, but cannot conceal her inner turmoil. _Depicts the hidden suffering behind a facade of gaiety._ > And here’s a face, so calm and mild, Mid the restless din and strife; It seems to say, in every line, “I’m aiming for a higher life.” A serene face amidst the chaos suggests a person striving for spiritual or moral elevation. _Contrasts with the other figures, offering a hopeful perspective._ > Just then I caught a mournful glance, As on the human river rushed, A harrowing look, which plainly said, “The music of my life is hushed.” I saw a sorrowful look that conveyed that the joy and vitality of that person's life had ended. _Evokes a sense of profound loss and despair._ > Look on that face, so deathly pale, Its bloom and flush forever fled: I started, for it seemed to bear A message to the silent dead. A pale, lifeless face appears to carry a warning or communication from the dead. _Suggests a brush with mortality or a premonition of death._ > Thus hurries on the stream of life, To empty where Death’s waters meet; We pass along, we pass away⁠— Thus end the lessons of the street. Life rushes forward like a river, eventually flowing into death; we come and go, and that is the ultimate lesson from observing the street. _Concludes with a meditation on the transience of life._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_7_se/chapters/lessons-of-the-street - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_7_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_7_se/chapters