The Ballad of the Children of the Czar By Delmore Schwartz - Giggle Poems

Original Poem：

1
The children of the Czar
Played with a bouncing ball
In the May morning, in the Czar’s garden,
Tossing it back and forth.
It fell among the flowerbeds
Or fled to the north gate.
A daylight moon hung up
In the Western sky, bald white.
Like Papa’s face, said Sister,
Hurling the white ball forth.
2
While I ate a baked potato
Six thousand miles apart,
In Brooklyn, in 1916,
Aged two, irrational.
When Franklin D. Roosevelt
Was an Arrow Collar ad.
O Nicholas! Alas! Alas!
My grandfather coughed in your army,
Hid in a wine-stinking barrel,
For three days in Bucharest
Then left for America
To become a king himself.
3
I am my father’s father,
You are your children’s guilt.
In history’s pity and terror
The child is Aeneas again;
Troy is in the nursery,
The rocking horse is on fire.
Child labor! The child must carry
His fathers on his back.
But seeing that so much is past
And that history has no ruth
For the individual,
Who drinks tea, who catches cold,
Let anger be general:
I hate an abstract thing.
4
Brother and sister bounced
The bounding, unbroken ball,
The shattering sun fell down
Like swords upon their play,
Moving eastward among the stars
Toward February and October.
But the Maywind brushed their cheeks
Like a mother watching sleep,
And if for a moment they fight
Over the bouncing ball
And sister pinches brother
And brother kicks her shins,
Well! The heart of man is known:
It is a cactus bloom.
5
The ground on which the ball bounces
Is another bouncing ball.
The wheeling, whirling world
Makes no will glad.
Spinning in its spotlight darkness,
It is too big for their hands.
A pitiless, purposeless Thing,
Arbitrary and unspent,
Made for no play, for no children,
But chasing only itself.
The innocent are overtaken,
They are not innocent.
They are their father’s fathers,
The past is inevitable.
6
Now, in another October
Of this tragic star,
I see my second year,
I eat my baked potato.
It is my buttered world,
But, poked by my unlearned hand,
It falls from the highchair down
And I begin to howl.
And I see the ball roll under
The iron gate which is locked.
Sister is screaming, brother is howling,
The ball has evaded their will.
Even a bouncing ball
Is uncontrollable,
And is under the garden wall.
I am overtaken by terror
Thinking of my father’s fathers,
And of my own will.

Analysis and Interpretation of the Poem

This poem vividly captures the innocence and complexity of childhood against the backdrop of historical and familial legacy. The children of the Czar playing in the garden symbolize a serene and privileged past, while the speaker’s own experience in Brooklyn, far removed from this royal setting, introduces a stark contrast of personal and historical displacement.

The poem explores themes of inheritance, history, and the burden of the past. The child is portrayed as both a victim and carrier of his ancestors’ struggles, evoking the image of Aeneas, the Trojan hero who carried his people’s legacy. The nursery becomes a battlefield where the rocking horse is aflame, symbolizing the loss of innocence and the harsh realities children face, such as child labor and inherited guilt.

The bouncing ball, a recurring motif, represents the uncontrollable forces of life and history. It moves unpredictably, slipping away from the children’s grasp and symbolizing how individuals cannot fully command their fate or the past. The poem’s tone shifts between tender childhood moments and profound reflections on history’s impersonal nature, culminating in the speaker’s realization of his own vulnerability and inherited responsibilities.

Background and Author Introduction

This poem reflects the historical context of early 20th-century upheavals, including the fall of the Russian monarchy and the immigrant experience in America. The reference to Franklin D. Roosevelt as an "Arrow Collar ad" situates the poem in the 1910s, a time of social change and political uncertainty.

The author, though unnamed here, is likely someone deeply connected to both European and American histories, possibly an immigrant or descendant of immigrants. Their work often blends personal memory with historical commentary, using childhood as a lens to examine broader societal issues.

Educational Insights and Learning Points

Students can learn several key lessons from this poem:

• Historical Awareness: Understanding how personal lives are intertwined with larger historical events.
• Literary Devices: Identifying symbolism (the bouncing ball, the daylight moon), metaphor (the rocking horse on fire), and allusion (Aeneas and Troy).
• Themes of Childhood and Responsibility: Recognizing how children are affected by and carry the weight of past generations.
• Emotional Expression: Exploring feelings of loss, fear, and hope through poetic imagery.

In practical terms, this poem encourages students to reflect on their own family histories and the ways history shapes identity. It can be used in lessons on history, literature, and social studies to foster empathy and critical thinking.

Applications in Life and Learning

• In Literature Classes: Analyzing the poem’s structure and themes to improve comprehension and critical analysis skills.
• In History Lessons: Discussing the impact of historical events on individuals and families, especially immigrants.
• In Social-Emotional Learning: Encouraging students to express their feelings about family and history.
• Creative Writing: Inspiring students to write their own poems or stories about childhood and heritage.

Reading Comprehension Questions

1. Where are the children playing in the poem’s first stanza?
2. What does the bouncing ball symbolize throughout the poem?
3. How does the speaker describe his own childhood experience compared to the children of the Czar?
4. What historical references are made in the poem?
5. What is the significance of the rocking horse being "on fire"?
6. How do the children’s interactions with the ball reflect larger themes in the poem?
7. What emotions does the speaker express in the final stanza?
8. How does the poem portray the relationship between past generations and the present child?

Answer Key

1. The children are playing in the Czar’s garden on a May morning.
2. The bouncing ball symbolizes the uncontrollable forces of life and history.
3. The speaker’s childhood in Brooklyn is distant and less privileged, marked by confusion and separation from the royal setting.
4. References include the Czar, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the Trojan hero Aeneas.
5. The rocking horse on fire symbolizes the loss of innocence and the dangers children face.
6. Their struggle to control the ball reflects the human struggle to control fate and history.
7. The speaker feels terror and helplessness, realizing the weight of his ancestors and his own will.
8. The poem shows that children inherit the burdens and legacies of their forebears, often without choice.

This poem offers a rich exploration of childhood, history, and identity that can deepen students’ understanding of literature and life.